Destinies Intertwined
by Iceshadow911247
Summary: The Autocats were chased out of their home. It was destroyed, and they have nowhere left to go. Until a small group of them are taken in by IceClan. The only problem is, the Decepticats were taken in by FrostClan, and they're determined to kill the Autocats and end the war in their favor. StarClan, help them all.
1. Chapter 1

**Rewrite of the first chapter. I thought about it and decided to edit the story. So now, instead of being turned into cats, the Autobots have been cats.**

Optimus ran at full speed through the forest, some of the remaining Autocats following. After a while and making sure that they weren't being followed, he slowed his pace and turned to face the others.

"Were we followed?" He panted. The others shook their helms. The cats that had gotten away with Optimus were Jazz, Ironhide, Ratchet, and Bumblebee.

"What do we do now?" Ironhide asked.

"Well, did you all see anyone killed?" Ratchet asked. They all shook their helms, which was promising, but others could have still been killed.

"So, where do we go?" Bumblebee asked. The Decepticats had chased them out of their home, and they had nowhere to go.

"I guess we just start walking." Optimus answered, and the group of cats started out in the direction they had been running in, as nightfall fell, they had covered quite some distance, and stopped in a clearing to rest.


	2. Chapter 2

***Icestar P.O.V.***

Icestar padded through the wintery forest with her deputy, Wildfang, and her sister, Goldendapple. Their paws crunched through the fallen leaves, the wind whistling through the tree branches.

"If it gets any colder, we'll all freeze!" Wildfang sputtered, her teeth chattering. Icestar fluffed up her fur against the bitter wind, rolling her eyes. Suddenly, the three she-cats stumbled into a clearing with five sleeping toms. Wildfang let out an outraged hiss. One of the toms, a _red_and _blue_tom, shot to his paws and stared at Icestar, his eyes wide.

"What are you doing on our territory?" Icestar hissed, her fur fluffing out. The other toms woke up and shot to their paws, fur bristling.

"Your territory? We woke up here!" A gray black tom, snarled, extending his claws.

"Ironhide, stand down. We are sorry; we have no idea where we are." The blue and red one stated. Icestar narrowed her eyes.

"Yeah, right! Like you're not from Frostclan. They keep trying to spy on us!" Wildfang hissed, eyes narrowed to slits.

"Is that a challenge?" Ironhide snarled.

"Wildfang! We do not fight unless we have reason to!" Icestar hissed to her clanmate.

"That sounds like coward talk." The gray black tom snorted. Wildfang couldn't contain herself any longer. She threw herself at the tom, screeching insults at him. Icestar darted forward and grabbed Wildfang's scruff and dragged her off the tom while the red and blue tom and another tom, a yellow green color with a red streak, held down the gray tom. Icestar dropped Wildfang.

"I am truly sorry for Wildfang's behavior. She will not do it again." Icestar fixed Wildfang with a cold stare.

"And I am sorry for Ironhide. He does not always think his actions through." The red and blue tom stated. Ironhide snorted.

"I am Icestar, leader of Iceclan. This is Wildfang, and Twilightwolf." Icestar indicated each she-cat with a flick of her tail.

"My name is Optimus Prime. The others are Ironhide, Ratchet, Jazz, and Bumblebee." Optimus pointed with his tail to each tom. _Strange,_Icestar thought, _they all have blue eyes._Icestar nodded.

"Follow us. I have a feeling you might want to meet the clan." Icestar meowed, then turned around and bounded off towards camp.

"Icestar! Are you serious? We have no idea who these cats are!" Wildfang hissed in Icestar's ear.

"I know. But for some reason, I have a feeling they're important." Icestar meowed quietly back to her deputy. Icestar stopped outside of the camp, waiting for the other cats to catch up. Optimus was the first to run out of the bushes, followed by Ratchet, then the others. Icestar turned and sprinted into the clearing, and bounded up the side of Ice Rock. "Let all cats old enough to walk on ice gather beneath the Ice Rock for a clan meeting!" Icestar's call rang out into the clearing. Cats of all sizes trotted out of dens and sat below her, meowing amongst them.

"While on patrol, Goldendapple, Wildfang, and I ran across some rogues. I have offered them a place to stay while they collect their bearings. Hisses of outrage rang across the clearing. The toms sat at the edge of the clearing, Wildfang and Goldendapple near them.

"Icestar, I know you think your decision is a good choice, but what will the other clans think?" One cat called. The speaker was Braveheart, one cat that hated Icestar's leadership.

"Braveheart, my decision is final. You do not have to like it, but I am your leader. You will follow my word." Icestar meowed coldly.

***Optimus P.O.V.***

_Icestar obviously has power over these felines,_Optimus thought.

"I don't like this," Ironhide growled. Jazz snorted.

"You don't like a lot of things, Ironhide." Jazz hissed. Wildfang padded past the group of toms, and slapped her tail across Ironhide's face. He sat crouched, open mouthed. "Looks like you have an admirer." Jazz meowed, nearly laughing. Jazz's optics followed Wildfang to where she sat next to another tabby tom. "Scratch that, you have competition." Jazz mewed smugly.

"You fragger!" Ironhide launched himself at Jazz, overpowering the smaller tom. Icestar bounded toward them, and using Ironhide's lack of concentration, Jazz scampered away.

"Do any of you want to patrol the territory with me?" She asked, shifting from paw to paw.

"I'll go," Optimus offered. Icestar nodded.

"Oh, Ironhide," Ironhide looked up as Icestar mentioned his name. "Go across the clearing and go through that screen of ferns. Blackpoppy will put something on those scratches." She mewed. Ratchet's audio receptors perked up, and when Ironhide padded in the direction Icestar had indicated, he followed. "Jazz, Bee. Find Sunblaze and he'll teach you how to hunt. You might as well help the clan while you're here." She pointed with her tail to a light brown tabby tom washing his pedes on the other side of the clearing. "Optimus, follow me." Icestar padded in the direction of the entrance to the camp.

"Wait for me!" A shrill voice echoed across the clearing. Optimus turned around to see a light brown she-kit tumbling across the clearing. "Icestar, I wanna go!" She squeaked. Icestar sighed.

"You're not old enough, Lynxkit." Icestar's voice was filled with exasperation, but there was fondness in her mew, too. Lynxkit's tail drooped. "Go find Wildfang to teach you some moves, I'm sure she'll be happy to." Lynxkit perked up, and then ran back across the clearing. Icestar shook her head, and then walked out of the camp.

"Your daughter?" Optimus asked. Icestar nodded.

"She has a lot of spirit," She commented. After a while of walking through the forest, they came upon a road. A car drove by, and Optimus flinched. Suddenly, Icestar bristled.

"What?" Optimus asked.

"Rainstar." Icestar flicked her tail and a bronze and silver she-cat across the road.

"Who is that?" Optimus questioned.

"My half sister." Icestar growled.

"But I thought that in clans families would be together." He pondered.

"Yeah, well, apparently that did not accord to my father. He left my siblings and I for another she-cat, then he killed my mother." She snarled. Optimus' optics widened.

***Icestar P.O.V.***

Icestar was glad when Optimus didn't press. She hated when she had to relive her past. She turned and walked stiffly away from the Thunderpath, tail tip twitching. Sooner than expected, the two cats returned to camp. Icestar padded away from Optimus, and walked into Blackpoppy's den. Ironhide was lying in a nest, paws curled under his chest. Wildfang was there too, on the other side of the den, glaring at Ironhide. Icestar checked on her deputy, then turned back and walked outside to meet Sunblaze.

"How did you fare teaching the new cats hunting?" Icestar purred, rubbing muzzles with her mate.

"Jazz made an excellent hunter, and so did Bumblebee. But Bumblebee didn't say anything throughout the whole lesson. I'm starting to wonder if her can talk at all." Sunblaze murmured.

"I'm sure he's just shy. He'll eventually come around." Icestar meowed, then watched as Sunblaze disappeared into their den. Icestar looked around, spotting the new cats. She trotted over to them. "Here, let me show you where you all can stay." Icestar mewed, then turned around and led the toms to an extra den used for visitors. She let the tom settle in, then sat in the shadow of the Ice Rock.

_I wonder if Sunblaze is right about Bumblebee…_


	3. Chapter 3

***Optimus P.O.V.***

Optimus woke up in a sunlit glade. He stumbled to his pedes and the bushes off to his left rustled, and a beautiful tortishell she-cat trotted out.

"Who are you?" Optimums growled. The she-cat flicked her tail.

"Calm, Optimus. This is only a dream. You were destined to meet the clans." She mewed. Optimus pondered this.

"Will they help us against the Decepticats?" The tom asked.

"That's the choice the Clans have to make. But if I know Icestar, she'll help. She'll need no dream from StarClan." The she-cat mewed. As the tortishell turned to leave, Optimus stopped her.

"Wait. How do I know you're a _Starclan_cat?" Optimus mewed suspiciously. The she-cat turned slowly to look him in the optics.

"My name is Cloverspeckle. I was killed by Stormstar. I am Icestar's mother." Cloverspeckle mewed softly. Optimus recognized the eyes, light blue, her somewhat long fur, and the way she held her head. Then Cloverspeckle disappeared as Optimus was plunged into darkness.

"_Wake up!"_A voice hissed in Optimus's audio receptor. He opened his optics and rolled over onto his side, narrowly missing being kicked in the face by one of Ironhide's hind pedes. "You were mewling in your sleep like a lost kitten!" He hissed. Optimus scrambled to his pedes, shaking out his fur. After collecting himself, he trotted out of the bush that he and the rest of the Autobots were sleeping in, to see many other cats already up and about.

"Took you long enough." Icestar's voice purred as she trotted up to him. "Most of the clan is already up. Go find a warrior to teach you how to fight and hunt." Icestar turned and walked to the tom named Sunblaze.

***Icestar P.O.V.***

"Sunblaze, I'm starting to think you may be right about Bumblebee." Icestar mewed quietly to her mate. He nodded, about to mew something, when Mosstalon came screeching into the camp.

"Icestar! FrostClan is attacking!" The she-cat screeched frantically.

"Warriors, protect the nursery and the elders. The kits are probably what they want. Talonstrike, Owlflight, go to Rainclan and ask for their assistance." Icestar mewed. The two cats nodded, and they both took off in the direction of Rainclan. Icestar streaked over the other side of the clearing, and stopped in front of Optimus. "Stay with one of the warriors since none of you know any of the Frostclan cats. And, we do not fight to kill." Icestar aimed a stern look at Ironhide. As she finished, cats of all sizes burst into the clearing.

***Optimus P.O.V.***

Optimus tried to follow Icestar, but she disappeared behind cats fighting and screeching. Optimus was about to leap into the fight, but was thrown across the clearing.

"_Prime!"_A voice roared. Optimus turned on his pedes to see a _massive_scraggly gray tom barreling toward him. Optimus leaped up to meet the tom, and they fell to the ground in a screeching, tumbling whirl.

"Megatron!" Optimus snarled, slashing the gray's face.

"Looks like you have joined the wrong side, Prime." The gray tom growled, breaking apart from Optimus.

"What is that supposed to mean?" Optimus hissed. Megatron smirked.

"Once I have taken over Frostclan, I will take over the others. Those who have opposed me will be killed." Megatron meowed, flexing his claws.

"Power will be your downfall!" Optimus hissed.

"Frostclan! Retreat!" A she-cat's voice rang out over the fighting cats.

"Until then, brother." Megatron growled, then disappeared into the retreating cats. Optimus sat down heavily, trying to catch his breath when he heard a wail. Optimus pushed through the other cats until he found the source of the wail. Sunblaze was standing over a cat, and as Optimus came closer, he noticed the cat was Icestar.

"W-What happened?" He stuttered. Sunblaze looked at him.

"A FrostClan cat killed her." He whispered, horrified. Blackpoppy shoved between the two toms, sniffing over Icestar's body. "Do something!" Sunblaze screeched.

"You know that nothing can help her now. We must wait for Starclan to make their decision." Blackpoppy mewed, narrowing her optics. Optimus looked up to see a faint white outline stand up from Icestar's body and disappear, looking like dissipated fog. Suddenly, Icestar blinked her optics, and she staggered to her pedes.

"Sunblaze! Is the fight over?" Icestar asked, assuming her posture. Before the tom could answer, she bolted, headed for the nursery. As she disappeared, she let out a horrified shriek. She came bolting back out.

"_The kits have been stolen!"_


	4. Chapter 4

**Hey everybody. How's your Christmas been? Mine was awesome. Got a laptop.**

_*Icestar P.O.V.*_

"This is the worst crime Frostclan could have done!" Icestar shrieked, pacing around camp.

"And where are Talonstrike and Owlflight?" Wildfang wailed.

"We will attack and retrieve the kits tomorrow night." Icestar commanded, tail tip twitching.

"What? Why not now?" Braveheart stalked up to Icestar.

_*Optimus P.O.V.*_

A gray and black tom stepped up to Icestar.

"Bravheart, you know that we have to recover before we can launch a raid." Icestar meowed, optics narrowed. Another tom stalked up to her. This one was orange and red.

"Icestar, we have to prove that we are strong!" He snarled.

"We will. We will have a better chance at proving we are strong tomorrow." Icestar hissed, trying to keep her temper.

"You're just a coward!" Braveheart hissed.

"If you can't lead this clan to victory, I will!" The orange and red tom yowled. Shocked gasps echoed around the clearing.

"Braveheart! Emberflame! I expected better of you! From until I say so both of you will be called by your apprentice names and participate in apprentice duties!" Icestar meowed coldly. Emberflame leapt her, snarling. Icestar batted him out of the air with a paw, and turned on Bravheart, who had also tried to attack her.

Optimus and Sunblaze stepped in, each holding a tom down. Optimus with a paw on Braveheart's throat, and Sunblaze with a paw on Emberflame's throat.

"I am your leader! You pledged by Starclan that you would protect this clan with your life! From this moment on, you will be known as Mouse and Fox. You are hereby exiled from this clan. If you are on our territory by sundown, all warriors have my permission to kill you. If you injure any of these warriors, whoever finds you will bring you to me and I will personally kill you myself." I snarled. The two toms let the exiles up, and the former warriors sprinted out into the forest. The clan started to disperse, gathering into groups and talking about what had just happened.

"Sunblaze, Ironhide, Wildfang, Optimus, Jazz, Bumblebee, and Tigerstrike. We will form a patrol to try and find Owlflight and Talonstrike." Icestar mewed, stalking towards the camp entrance.

_*Icestar P.O.V.*_

Icestar lead the patrol into the forest.

"Wildfang, take Tigerstrike, Bumblebee, and Ironhide and search the far border of Rainclan. I'll take Optimus, Sunblaze, and Jazz and search nearer to the Frostclan border." Icestar commanded. She then turned around and stalked towards the Frostclan border, tail tip twitching. Sunblaze walked along next to her, Optimus and Jazz to Icestar's right, following a path through the brambles.

"Optimus, take Jazz and search your side of path. Sunblaze and I will take our side." Icestar flicked her ears and turned and disappeared behind a tree. Icestar opened her mouth and scented the air, then froze.

"What is it?" Sunblaze asked cautiously. Icestar looked at him with wide eyes. She turned around and sprinted through the forest, dodging brambles and ivy tendrils until she came upon a clearing. Sunblaze followed. "What-…!" Sunblaze stopped midsentence.

In the clearing in front of them lay Owlflight and Talonstrike, covered in scratches and blood.


	5. Chapter 5

**Can anyone else totally see the Decepticats being kit stealers? I know I can. Anyways, here are the descriptions for the Autobots and 'Cons:**

**Autocats:**

**Optimus- blue tom with red points (flames), sky blue optics**

**Ironhide- long furred dark gray tom, scar over right optic, sapphire blue optics**

**Ratchet- pale yellow tom tinted with green and a red streaked along his side, ice blue optics**

**Jazz- short silver tom, pale blue optics**

**Bumblebee- yellow tom with a black dorsal stripe, kitten blue optics**

**Decepticats:**

**Megatron- huge gray tom with wicked claws and blood red optics**

**Starscream- light brown tom with dark gray mottled stripes, dark red optics**

**Barricade- black tom with white middle, magenta optics**

**Bonecrusher- light brown tabby tom with darker stripes, red optics**

**Devastator- sandy brown tom with darker points, red optics**

_*Icestar P.O.V.*_

"Go find Optimus and Jazz! Then go find Wildfang's patrol!" Icestar hissed at Sunblaze. He nodded, then ran in the direction Optimus and Jazz had taken. Soon, he had come back with the two toms following. Sunblaze looked at Icestar, then ran to find Wildfang and her patrol.

"What happened?" Optimus asked, eyes wide. Icestar bent down and sniffed the two warriors' bodies.

"Smells like Frostclan and rogues." Icestar growled. Optimus copied Icestar, then reared back and hissed. "Thank Starclan they're alive." She mewed. Sunblaze suddenly burst from the bushes, Wildfang and the others following. Wildfang wailed at the sight of her two kits on the ground, darting to their sides.

"We need to get them back to camp." Icestar commanded.

_*Time Skip, Optimus P.O.V.*_

Once the patrol of cats had returned to camp, Icestar had darted over to the Ice Rock and yowled for the clan to gather. Optimus sat near Sunblaze, who had a look of deadly rage in his eyes.

"Cats of Iceclan! We have found our missing warriors! They were attacked, but are now with Blackpoppy. Tonight, we will seek our revenge on Frostclan!" Icestar's short speech sent the clan into cheers.

"Who's going?" One cat called.

"Wildfang, Sunblaze, Lionheart, Jaguarheart, Thornblaze, Stormflash, Calicofang, Fallowfawn, Patchtail , Cheetahsprint, Lionleap, Leopardsplash, Smokewhisker, Flameflare, Flowerpetal, Blizzardstreak, Brownear, Nightheart, Thinpoppy, Tigermask, Pantherheart, Tigerstrike, Phoenixfire, Eaglerain, Sparrowflight, Stormstripe, Snowblade, Leafwhirl, Optimus, Ratchet, Ironhide, Bumblebee, Jazz, Mosstalon, Brambleshade, Nightglare, Redmeadow, Winterthaw, Rockpath, Stormfall, Hollyleaf, and Sleetstorm. You will all be joining me in the battle patrol." Icestar called, leaping down from the Ice Rock. Optimus trotted toward her.

"Is a patrol with that many cats necessary?" He asked quietly.

"Yes. Frostclan is crafty and sneaky, I will give them that. They are also one of the bigger clans, along with us. We will be evenly matched." She said, looking him straight in the optics. "Iceclan, we begin our attack now!" Icestar called, darting into the forest, the rest of the patrol following. Sunblaze and the tom named Brambleshade ran, catching up with Icestar, Optimus behind them. The tom that was named Nightglare caught up and ran next to Optimus, optics narrowed.

"When we get near Frostclan territory, be quiet and do not let your presence be known." He growled, before continuing. "When we are fighting, stick next to one of the cats from our clan unless Icestar tells you otherwise." He hissed, keeping his optics to the path. "Warriors do not need to kill unless it is necessary," He said, looking over Optimus' shoulder at Ironhide, who just huffed.

"Are you related to Icestar? You tend to remind me of her," Optimus stated, glancing at Nightglare.

"She's my sister. Brambleshade is my brother, and Goldendapple is my other sister." He meowed, optics flashing. Optimus nodded. Icestar murmured something to Wildfang, then slowed her pace and dropped back until she was running next to Optimus.

"I hope Nightglare gave you a quick run-over of what you're supposed to do?" Icestar asked.

"Yes." Optimus replied. Icestar suddenly pulled up ahead and stopped near the road.

_*Icestar P.O.V.*_

Icestar stopped and turned around to look at her warriors.

"Now we enter Frostclan territory. You must not make a sound for our attack to work. As soon as I sound the battle cry, you fight like the whole of Starclan is on your side." She mewed. She flicked her tail, and Wildfang padded up next to her.

"Follow me." The deputy meowed, turning around and stalking into the night. Icestar stood to the side as she watched for a few certain toms. Spotting them, she walked through the crowd of cats toward them.

"You five." She called to them. "Follow me." She mewed, walking past them further into the forest. She turned around as they followed. "You five will help me get the kits back from Frostclan's nursery."

"What? We're going to slink around like cowards instead of fighting our way in?" Ironhide hissed, eyes narrowed. This earned him a look from Icestar, glares from Bumblebee and Jazz, and two cuffs over the head by Optimus and Ratchet.

"Ironhide, we will be fighting once we get near the nursery. As soon as the Frostclan warriors realize they're being attacked by Iceclan, they will immediately have warriors protect the nursery, since that's what we want." Icestar mewed, looking him straight in the eyes. The tom shuffled his paws and muttered something incoherent. "Anyways, we must catch up with the others. Follow me." Icestar narrowed her eyes. Then she turned on her heels and ran, leaving the toms to follow.

_*Optimus P.O.V.*_

Optimus ran through the forest, ducking under bushes, followed Icestar. Soon, he burst through the undergrowth, and saw Icestar sitting near a small tunnel that led under the road. She stood up as he neared, and they both waited for the others. As soon as the other toms were visible, Icestar turned and sprinted down the tunnel and out the other side, into the forest.

"Be quiet. We're now in Rainclan-" Icestar was cut off as a golden feline stalked through the undergrowth.

"Icestar!" It growled, claws flexing.

"Thunderfoot. We mean no harm. We are simply passing through." Icestar mewed calmly, staring Thunderfoot in the eyes.

"Then why do you have a patrol with you?" He hissed, looking at Optimus and the others.

"We have good reason to go through your territory: Frostclan stole all our kits." Icestar growled, fur bristling. Thunderfoot stared, slack-jawed.

"They stole your kits, too? They also stole ours and Hailclan's!" Thunderfoot hissed. Suddenly, a she-cat walked out from the bushes. Optimus recognized her as Rainstar.

"They stole your kits, too?" Rainstar asked, shocked. Icestar nodded.

"I say we join forces with you and Hailclan, to get back our kits." Icestar suggested.

"Agreed." Rainstar mewed. "We will get our battle patrol and Hailclan's and meet you back here." Rainstar said, flicking her tail before she turned around and ran into the undergrowth.

"We need to find our patrol." Icestar stated, but Wildfang suddenly burst through the undergrowth.

"There you are! We couldn't find you!" She said, the other warriors following behind her.

"Change in plans. We are going to join battle patrols with Rainclan and Hailclan. Their kits were also stolen." Icestar's words were met with snarls and growls from the other cats. Suddenly, there was a rustling in the bushes an Rainstar padded out with another she-cat.

"That's Eaglestar, leader of Hailclan." Icestar whispered in Optimus's audio receptors. "We should get going if we are to attack under the cover of night." Icestar coughed.

"Agreed." Hailstar spoke up. "We will follow you." She continued. Icestar nodded, then flicked her tail at her patrol. Wildfang padded past her, towards Frostclan territory. Icestar trotted over to the other leaders.

"Those toms and I are going to sneak around behind the camp and sneak our way into the nursery." She said quietly.

"That's a good idea. I will send some also." Rainstar nodded, and Hailstar also agreed. Rainstar then turned to her warriors and chose seven out of them.

She chose Sunsprint, a light brown tabby she-cat with amber optics; Stormbreeze, a stormy gray she-cat with almost black paws, blue optics; Dustfur, a dark brown tom with green optics; Speedleap, a honey colored tom with green optics; Graycloud, a male gray tabby tom with blue optics; Stormheart, a ginger she-cat with a white stripe and hazel optics; and Berryfrost, a dark gray tom with lighter patches and dark blue optics.

Hailstar chose six cats from her patrol: Whitefoot, a black she-cat with white points and green optics; Foxdrift, a red tom with one silver paw, light red optics (Optimus did not trust the tom very well for this); Tangleclaw, light brown tabby tom with blue optics; Mudlegs, very dark brown she-cat with brown optics; Thrushpelt, brown tom with soft amber optics; and Mossdrop, silvery gray she-cat with green optics.

"You will follow Icestar and her plan; we will be in the clearing fighting." Rainstar mewed, then led the rest of her patrol in direction Wildfang left in, Hailclan following. Icestar looked at the other clan cats.

"Are you ready?" She asked them. Most responded with growls of anticipation. Icestar then looked at her part of the patrol, and received nods from them. Icestar turned around and stalked through the undergrowth in a different direction from where the patrols went. Optimus sped up until he was walking beside Icestar.

"Do you trust these cats?" He asked quietly.

"I trust Rainstar and Eaglestar, so I trust their warriors." Icestar replied back, eyes staring ahead. Optimus fell silent, and started to pay attention to his surroundings. After a while of walking, Icestar slowed and turned around.

"We are almost there. Now we travel in a different direction so we can reach the back of the camp." Icestar said, then turned and headed in a leftward direction.

***Time Skip***

Optimus hid next to Icestar behind Frostclan's camp. Beside him was Ratchet, who was assessing the camp's interior. On Icestar's other side was Mudlegs, the she-cat from Hailclan. Suddenly, Icestar's helm shot up, and Optimus followed her gaze. At the top of the hill in front of Frostclan's camp, in the bushes, a vengeful wail rose through the air, joined by other caterwauls. Optimus shuddered at the sound as it echoed. Then, all three patrols, headed by Wildfang, burst through the bushes and into the camp. Icestar leapt to her paws, and jumped through the entrance in the back.

The groggy warriors of Frostclan that had left their dens at the sound of the battle cry quickly sounded the alarm, and the clearing was soon filled with fighting cats. Icestar led the way to the nursery, and the Hailclan patrol went in first while the rest of the cats protected them. As they came out with all their kits, They excited out the back of the clearing, and Eaglestar let out a an order for Hailclan to retreat, leaving only Rainclan and Iceclan.

"You go first!" Icestar hissed at Berryfrost, who nodded and disappeared into the nursery. Soon, the Rainclan patrol returned with their kits, and Rainclan left, leaving just Iceclan. "We'll have to make more than one trip to get all the kits to safety." Icestar growled, then leapt into the nursery.

_*Icestar P.O.V.*_

Icestar let her eyes adjust to the darkness of the nursery before she moved any farther. In the corner of the nursery, she saw the Frostclan queens huddled in the corner with their kits, Icefang and Silversong. She growled lightly before spotting her kits and the other kits of Iceclan. She poked her head out of the nursery.

"I need your help to get these kits. Grab one and then put them under the tunnel like I instructed you yesterday before you went to sleep." Icestar said before ducking back inside. She grabbed Foxkit and made room for the toms to grab a kit. Optimus grabbed Badgerkit, Ironhide grabbed Dawnkit, Ratchet grabbed Morningkit, Jazz picked up Falconkit, and Bumblebee grabbed Ospreykit.

"Come on!" Ironhide growled through Dawnkit's scruff. Icestar exited the nursery, and looked around. The Iceclan patrol was still fighting strong. Icestar quickly ran to the back of the camp and forced herself to run faster as she headed to the tunnel. As soon as she arrived, she put the kit down and waited anxiously for the other toms. As soon as they reached her and put down their kits, she quickly gave an order to Ratchet.

"Ratchet, you stay here with the kits and keep them busy." Icestar said. Ratchet's eyes widened.

"But I'm no good with kits!" He objected. "How would I keep them busy?"

"Um… let them chew on your ears, and bite your tail or something!" She snapped, before turning around. She saw Ratchet mouth the words "Help me!" to Optimus, who shook his head quickly. She also managed to see Falconkit wrap his paws around one of Ratchet's forelegs and stare up at the tom with wide eyes.

"Come on!" Icestar said, and bounded back out into the moonlight. She stretched her long legs and quickly pulled ahead of the toms, leaving them to follow behind. Icestar quickly made it to the camp and burst through the camp wall, heading to the nursery. She entered the dark den, and waited again for the other toms. Soon, they too came into the camp.

"These legs are too short ta keep up with the rest of ya." Jazz came in last, panting. Icestar rolled her eyes.

"I'll take these three." Icestar flicked her tail at Spottedkit, Speckledkit, and Streakedkit. "I want you to at least grab two kits. Save for Jazz." Icestar gave a meaningful look at Jazz.

"What?" He said, looking at the others. Icestar grabbed Streakedkit, then crouched down and let Spottedkit and Speckledkit climb onto her back and hold on. Optimus grabbed Hawkkit and let Tigerkit onto his back. Ironhide took Wolfkit and let Lynxkit onto his back. Bumblebee took Cougarkit while Jazz took Fawnkit. Icestar looked at Graykit, pain sparking in her eyes. But she shook herself, and turned and walked out of the nursery. As soon as she was out of the camp, she took off running, careful to keep the kits on her back from falling but also fast enough to get back to Ratchet.

She sped under the tunnel and deposited the kits next to Ratchet. Soon Optimus and the others came, Jazz last. As soon as they had put there kits down, Icestar was off like a shot.

"When we get back to camp, you all can join the battle and fight. I'll get the last kit." Icestar said in a dead serious tone.

"I'm going to stay away from her. We all know how defensive a femme gets for her creations." She heard Ironhide mumble. Icestar stretched her legs, picking up speed, and burst into camp. The others caught up with her as her path was blocked by Wildfang screeching curses at a fleeing tom.

"Was that…?" She heard Jazz ask.

"Never thought I'd ever feel sorry for old 'Screamer." Ironhide commented. Icestar watched her deputy tackle the tom, scratching the tom and pummeling his belly with her claws, ripping out chunks of fur. After Icestar's path wasn't blocked, she bolted to the nursery to grab Graykit. As she stepped inside, she looked at the nest he had been in. Except he wasn't there. Icestar nearly choked on her breath.

She darted outside, panic-stricken, and whirled her head around, trying to pinpoint her kit's location. Her eyes met Optimus's, and she darted over to him.

"Graykit's gone." She said, her voice hoarse. Suddenly, Optimus's eyes drifted over to the other side of the clearing, and they widened, then narrowed. Icestar turned her head to look, and she saw Graykit in the jaws a huge gray tom. He was sneaking along the side of the camp in the shadows, towards the direction of the entrance of camp. Icestar snarled, and she pivoted on her paws and barreled her way over to him, knocking fighting cats apart and earning weird looks from others.

She heard paw steps behind her and looked back to see Optimus following her. Suddenly, he pulled ahead of her. Icestar followed him with her gaze and saw him tackle a tom right in front of her. The tom was black with a white middle, and red eyes. She leapt over the battling toms, and continued her way over to the tom.

Icestar let out a battle screech and leapt at the tom, claws outstretched. She took the tom by surprise, bowling him over and clawing at his vulnerable spots; his eyes, nose, and stomach. Icestar was screaming insults at him the whole time, and for a bit, the tom was so surprised at her attack he didn't fight back. But he soon came to his senses and threw her off. By this time Graykit had scampered into the bushes.

"I have to say: you have skill, femme. But, then again, you are just a femme. You only got in a few hits because you caught me off guard. That will soon change." The tom smirked, then leapt at Icestar. Icestar ran and jumped low, underneath the tom. At the same time, she brought her claws up and slashed the tom's belly. He howled in pain, then landed on his paws. Icestar shot to her feet and faced him, growling low in her throat.

Behind the tom she saw Ironhide bounding up, only to be stopped by Optimus. They shared a glance, and Ironhide bounded off again, and Icestar saw him help Sunblaze fight against two brown toms.

In her split second of distraction, the tom darted behind her and swiped her feet out from under her. As she hit the ground, the tom leapt on top of her and started tearing at her with his claws. She hissed as she struggled to get up, to no avail. Suddenly, the weight crushing her rib cage was gone, and she saw Optimus tackle the tom to the ground. Icestar shot to her paws and leapt to Optimus's aid, both clawing at the tom. Then, he threw them off, and stood facing them.

"Enough. We will finish this fight later." He growled, and then disappeared into the throng of cats.

"Thank you," Icestar panted, and darted over to the bushes where she grabbed Graykit. The tom struggled as she lifted him, mewling, then calmed down as he recognized who was holding him. She set down the tom, and lifted her head.

"Iceclan! Retreat!" He call rang throughout the clearing. She picked up Graykit and ran to the front of the camp.

_*Optimus P.O.V.*_

Optimus followed at the end of the patrol. He vaguely listened to his companions conversations.

"Did you see Wildfang chase after Starscream? That was priceless!" He heard Jazz comment.

"Or when Icestar went after Megatron? I'm sure he'll remember those wounds in the morning!" Ironhide snorted. Optimus rolled his eyes.

"You think they had it bad? I was stuck with more than ten very energetic kits in a small place!" Ratchet grumbled. "I'm surprised I still my audio receptors, tail, and fur!" He continued. The others laughed.

"They couldn't have been that bad." Ironhide rumbled.

"You'll see." Ratchet growled. Ironhide just rolled his eyes, and then looked at Optimus.

"So, who else did you think was there?" Ironhide asked, referring to the Decepticons.

"I'm pretty sure I found Barricade." Optimus growled.

"I think I saw Bonecrusher and Devastator." Ironhide replied. Ratchet growled, and Jazz and Bumblebee shared a look. Optimus then noticed that they were back at camp. He saw Icestar bound over to the Ice Rock, and she let a call.

"Cats of Iceclan. We are victorious!" She called. The clan erupted into cheers. "Our kits are back safely." Icestar jumped down and padded over to the five toms. "Get yourselves checked out by Blackpoppy. She'll stop the bleeding and make sure the wounds won't get infected." She said, and then walked away. Optimus followed the others and waited his turn to get help from the medicine cat. After he was treated, Optimus walked over to his and the other Autocats' den and curled up in his nest.


	6. Chapter 6

_*Icestar P.O.V.*_

Icestar stretched in the sun, yawning. The patrols had been planned for the day, and most of the cats in camp had free time to rest. She laid down at the base of the Ice Rock, eyes half closed. She was only given a moment of brief rest before the patter of little paws could be heard.

"Graykit! Shut up! We can't sneak up on mamma is we're too loud!" Bearkit's voice hissed.

"Sorry!" Graykit squeaked. Icestar opened her eyes to see her five blood kits and sixth adopted kit before her.

"Great! Now we can't practice our new battle moves!" Cougarkit wailed, sitting back on her haunches. Icestar held in a laugh, and looked around the camp. Ratchet was splayed out in a spot of sunlight, dozing. Suddenly, Ironhide trotted up and plopped down next to Ratchet, resting his head on the tom's side.

"Get off me! I'm not your nest!" Ratchet hissed and jumped up, fur bristling. Ironhide rolled onto his back and looked up at his friend.

"Aw, come on. I was just tired." He gave a lopsided grin. Ratchet turned away and stalked towards the entrance of camp, grumbling.

"Kits, follow me." Icestar stood up and padded to the nursery, her kits following. Icestar poked her head into the nursery and saw the rest of the kits with their mothers, except for Wildfang's kits, who were old enough to be left alone.

"Mind if I borrow the kits for a while?" Icestar asked.

"Please do. I need the rest." Spotchfur groaned. Each of the kits stood up and followed Icestar out into the camp.

"I have a plan. Ratchet! Come over here!" Icestar mewed, then quickly but simply explained her plan to the kits and tom. Ratchet could barely contain his smugness as he trotted over to Ironhide.

"Remember yesterday when you said that it couldn't have been that bad watching energetic kits?" Ratchet said, a little too sweetly.

"Yeah…" Ironhide replied suspiciously, still lying on his back. That was the kits' signal. They let out squeals as they charged the gray tom, jumping on him and biting his ears. Ironhide's muffled plea for help was swallowed up by the cries of the kits.

"Come on, kits. That's enough." Icestar called, amused. The kits tumbled off Ironhide, scampering away from the tom.

"Never… again…" Ironhide breathed from the ground, exhausted from the kits' attack.

"Come on. We need to teach you all the lay of the land." Icestar stood up and walked over to the two toms.

_*Optimus P.O.V.*_

Optimus walked next Ratchet, who was describing the kits' antics earlier that day. Icestar was walking with Sunblaze, who turned out to be the she-cat's mate, in front of them, and Jazz, Bumblebee, Ironhide, and Wildfang were following behind.

"Icestar was the one that put them up to it!" Ironhide growled.

"They needed to spend their energy somehow." Icestar shrugged, glancing back. Ironhide grumbled something, then passed Optimus and ran ahead.

"Wait, Ironhide!" Wildfang called, about follow, when Ratchet interrupted.

"Eh, just leave him be. He needs to blow off some steam." Ratchet said good-naturedly.

"No, it's just that-" Sunblaze was cut off as there was a yowl and a splash. Optimus bounded ahead of the others through the bushes, and came to a small clearing where he nearly fell, as Ironhide did. He looked down, and saw Ironhide standing in a small creek, scrabbling at the steep sides of the ravine.

"Get me out of here!" He yowled, falling back into the water.

"I tried to warn you." Wildfang had followed with the others, and looked down into ravine. Jazz stood on the other side of her.

"Ha! You're soaked!" He laughed, teasing the tom below him. Wildfang rolled her eyes before taking one of her pedes and shoving Jazz himself down into the creek, splashing Ironhide.

"There's a part of the bank up ahead where you can get out." Sunblaze suggested. Both toms immediately started running through the water, trying to make it out first. Jazz soon passed Ironhide, but the gray tom wasn't going to back down. Ironhide tackled Jazz, smacked the smaller tom in the face with a pede, and bounded up the bank.

"I hate water." Ironhide growled, shaking out his fur.

"Well, then you don't fit in with cats from Iceclan or Frostclan. We're the swimming clans." Icestar mewed. Suddenly, Jazz jumped up from the bank, panting.

"Not what I expected to happen when I woke up today." He shivered. Icestar rolled her eyes.

***Time Skip***_*Icestar P.O.V.*_

Icestar watched her clan gather at the Base of Ice Rock.

"Tonight is the Gathering! The following cats will be going with me: Wildfang, Blackpoppy, Iciclefall, Dawnrose, Twilightwolf, Brambleshade, Mosstalon, Nightflash, Leafwhirl, Snowblade, Optimus, Ironhide, Ratchet, Jazz, Bumblebee, Nightpaw, and Tigerpaw." Icestar finished, jumping down from her perch and trotting towards the entrance to camp.

"Are we all ready?" She called, getting nods or replies from most cats. Icestar turned and ran out into the forest, Wildfang beside her.

"Do you know what you're going to say?" Wildfang asked.

"Nothing about the battle, unless someone brings it up. But I will say that we are stronger than ever." Icestar replied. Soon, the patrol reached the clearing, breaking apart as cats went to talk with others. Icestar made her way through the crowd, and noticed the clans were split up on different sides of the clearing: Frostclan, Snowclan, Sleetclan, and Blizzardclan on one side; and Iceclan, Rainclan, Hailclan, and Glacierclan on the other; and Mistclan in the middle. Each side was glaring at each other, cats hissing, but provoking each other no further, as a Gathering mean a truce was held the entire night.

Icestar jumped up and saw that Streamstar, leader of Frostclan, had not yet come to the Winter Rock, where the leaders stood and gave news.

"Icestar." Phoenixstar, leader of Mistclan, nodded. Icestar nodded back to the she-cat, before settling down next to Rainstar.

"How's your clan doing?" Icestar murmured, glancing at Rainstar.

"Good. The Frostclan border has been quiet." She mewed back, looking around.

"If we don't get started soon, we're all going to freeze!" Eaglestar shivered. "Where is Streamstar?" She called out to the cats below. Soon, a large gray tom shoved his way past the cats in the clearing, and jumped onto the Winter Rock. The rest of the leaders and clans stared at the tom, except for Frostclan, who cheered.

"And who are you?" Wolfstar, leader of Glacierclan, asked.

"I am Megatron! The new leader of Frostclan!" There were murmurs from the other clan cats at his strange name.

"What? What happened to Streamstar and Scarheart?" Phoenixstar asked.

"They were murdered by someone from Iceclan!" The tom yowled.

"What? No such thing happened!" Wildfang jumped up from her place at the base of the Winter Rock, hissing.

"Then why did you attack us unprovoked?" He snarled.

"You stole our kits in a raid!" Sunblaze jumped up from his place beside Optimus.

"You stole ours, too!" Rainstar snarled.

"And ours!" Eaglestar flexed her claws.

"Liars! And because you have insisted on becoming murderers, Frostclan had made an alliance with Snowclan, Sleetclan, and Blizzardclan!" Megatron continued.

"If we stand alone, we'll all be killed. I say we make an alliance of ourselves so we won't be annihilated." Eaglestar turned to Icestar and Rainstar.

"Agreed." Icestar said and Rainstar nodded. Icestar turned to look at the supposed new leader of Frostclan.

"Rainclan, Iceclan, and Hailclan are now under alliance with each other." Icestar mewed, her voice ringing out into the cold air.

_*Optimus P.O.V.*_

"If anything, Megatron is the one that killed those two others." Optimus growled, earning some agreement from Sunblaze.

"What say you, Phoenixstar and Wolfstar?" Megatron sneered. Wolfstar jumped down and shared a short conversation with his deputy, Coldfang, before nodding and jumping back up. He moved next to Icestar and announced his decision.

"We will join and be in an alliance with Iceclan, Rainclan, and Hailclan." He mewed. Hisses and snarls from the opposite side of the clearing met his statement.

"Then you will be destroyed with the rest." Megatron's red eyes glinted, before he turned to Phoenixstar. The orange she-cat cleared her throat.

"We have decided to remain neutral." She said. Some of the Mistclan cats visibly relaxed.

"Even if they were to be attacked, they would be hard to beat. They live farther north than the other clans, up in the mountains, where they would be able to see any enemies. And the fact they know all the hidden crevices most cats won't see." Sunblaze murmured under his breath. After that, all the leaders gave their reports quickly, then left.

_*Icestar P.O.V.*_

As the Gathering patrol neared camp, Icestar broke away from the group and padded deeper into the forest. She traveled to the northern end of the border, where the land flattened out and became clearer. The dam that stopped the river was still standing, and Icestar jumped up the logs and peered down into the star reflecting water.

"Are you alright?" Icestar turned at the voice behind her. There she saw Optimus.

"I just have the feeling that something's going to happen. I don't know what, but something big, and something bad. And that something is going to happen very soon." Icestar sighed, turning back to the water. Suddenly, there was a crashing in the bushes, and Icestar whirled around to see two Twolegs walking out into the clearing. One of them pointed their paw at the two cats, and, before they wildcats could react, the two male Twolegs grabbed the cats and put them into cramped containers. Icestar wailed as she tried to get out, stretching her paws out of the mesh at the front of the Twolegs' contraption. Icestar saw the glint of eyes and saw Sunblaze step out of the bushes, shocked, as the Icestar and Optimus were taken away.


	7. Chapter 7

_*Optimus P.O.V.*_

Optimus could hear Icestar shrieking in the container next to him. It shook as Icestar slammed herself into it, trying to break out. Soon, the humans put them in the back of a truck, and started it, then drove away. Optimus remained silent as the wind whipped through the openings in the container, and could vaguely still here Icestar screeching. Soon, the truck was stopped at the two human males came back around and grabbed the containers.

Optimus briefly caught a glance of the outside, and saw that the human males brought them into a human household, before walking up another level and depositing the two cats into a room and onto the floor. They let out Optimus first, and started to speak to one another.

"Poor tom. His previous owners must have dyed his fur." One said, disgusted.

"People these days." The other one snorted, before one opened Icestar's cage and both quickly left. Icestar whirled around, fur bristling.

"There's no way out!" She wailed.

"What's wrong? They don't seem like they'll hurt us," Optimus commented.

"That doesn't matter. What I'm worried about is that Frostclan and the others will attack while we're gone." Icestar snapped. Optimus looked at Icestar; he could tell there was more to it.

"And you're sure that's the only thing you're worried about?" He asked, looking at her optics. He saw the moment's hesitation before the she-cat looked back at him.

"It's just… it's just…" The she-cat sighed. "I'm expecting Sunblaze's kits." She whispered hoarsely, so quiet the Optimus almost didn't hear her.

"Oh," He whispered. Icestar turned around and walked to the opposite end of the room, and sat down, staring at her paws.

_*Icestar P.O.V.*_

Icestar had planned to tell Sunblaze that night, but fate had intervened. And now she had just told some tom she had only known for about half a moon! She mentally reprimanded herself. She vowed to get out of here as soon as she could, back to her clan.

*Time Skip*

Icestar uncurled herself from the cold floor of the Twoleg den and stretched, before something caught her eye. She slowly stood up, and saw that the entrance to the main part of the Twoleg den was cracked open. Icestar darted over to Optimus and jabbed him with a paw.

"Come on! There's a way to get out!" Icestar turned around and ran to the entrance, not waiting to see if the tom was awake. She stuck her head out, and saw that the den stretched farther along, then stopped. In front of her was some sort of barrier that blocked an open space. On the opposite end of the den, the space stretched away for a little bit, before stopping at what Icestar thought was another part of the den. She walked to where the barrier was, and jumped onto the small ledge that was beside it. Optimus stood at the bottom of the barrier, looking around.

"I remember how we get out." He said, before jumping over the barrier. But what happened next shocked him. The floor dropped away in a series of steps, and the tom hit the ground and tumbled to the bottom. Icestar quickly slid down the ledge, and jumped down.

"Are you okay?" She asked, looking the tom over. Optimus stood up and shook his head.

"I forgot those were there." He mumbled. Icestar just shook her, exasperated, and looked up at the entrance to the den. She spotted the lever, and jumped up, pawing at it.

"We need to twist that thing on the entrance so we can get out." Icestar urged, eager to be outside. Optimus nodded, be taking his turn at getting out. When he failed, Icestar looked around, and spotted a place near the door. She jumped up onto it, then reached over and pawed some more at the lever. When that didn't work, she jumped, and the lever jerked down, pulling the entrance open. Icestar darted out, Optimus following.

They ran for a while in the direction Optimus had said was clan territory. The two cats sprinted along the Thunderpath, eyes staring straight ahead, the silence tense between them.

_*Optimus P.O.V.*_

Optimus glanced at Icestar.

"What?" She said, catching him looking at her.

"You've been quiet ever since you told your secret. Did I do something?" Optimus asked, worried for his friend.

"No." Icestar replied curtly. Optimus didn't necessarily believe her, but trusted her, so he didn't say anything. Icestar lifted her head up, and her eyes widened. Optimus did the same, but didn't see anything out of the ordinary.

"What's wrong?" He asked, already knowing something was wrong. Icestar had already darted ahead, nearly to the top of a small rise. As Optimus reached her, he saw Icestar look slowly towards him.

"We're too late." She whispered, horrified. Optimus looked down the slope and, to his horror, saw all eight clans fighting against each other.


	8. Chapter 8

_*Icestar P.O.V.*_

"Come on!" Icestar hissed, already sprinting down the hill and letting out a fearsome battle cry. Some cats noticed her, and some of the cats' eyes widened in fear. Icestar jumped off a small rock, flying through the air, and landing on a she-cat she recognized as Maplefire from Sleetclan.

"Who organized this raid?" She hissed in the she-cat's ear.

"Megatron!" Maplefire squeaked. Icestar leapt off the she-cat, tearing through the group of cats until she found herself face to face with Wildfang.

"Icestar!" She mewed, touching noses with her old friend. "The attack only started this morning! All four clans of the opposite alliance were standing at the borders, facing Rainclan and Iceclan territory." The Iceclan deputy reported. Icestar nodded.

"Are there any apprentices here?" Icestar asked.

"No. We made sure of that. And there are warriors positioned around the camps to make sure that no gets in or out of them." Wildfang meowed.

"Good. I know I can always trust you to think smart in touch situations." Icestar mewed before whirling around and attacking a cat behind her. It was Windbreeze from Snowclan. The tom snarled, and smacked Icestar in the head with a black paw, leaving her dazed from the blow. Icestar shook her head, and leapt again the tom, claws outstretched. She slashed her claws down the tom's hide, and jumped away as the tom sprinted off.

After fighting her way through the crowd, she spotted Sunblaze, who was fighting a light brown tabby tom twice his size. Icestar yowled, and shoved through the crowd to him, pushing the attacking tom off her mate. Sunblaze met her eyes, ice blue to amber, and they both nodded.

The pair fought as if reading each other's mind, dodging blows from the brown tom, while sneaking in a few of their own. Soon, the tom had decided he couldn't take on both, and ran away, yowling.

"I didn't think I'd ever see you again!" Sunblaze mewed, and Icestar pressed her face against his chin, purring.

"I need to speak with you." Icestar said, and Sunblaze nodded, and the two cats quickly ran to the edge of the forest where Icestar could be heard better.

"I'm-" The she-cat was cut off as a tom barreled through the bushes, shoving Sunblaze away and tackling Icestar.

"Icestar!" Sunblaze hissed.

"Go! I'll be fine!" Icestar hissed, pleading with Sunblaze. The tom looked torn between following orders from his leader and staying and helping his mate, but another order from Icestar sent him running back to fight. Icestar them directed her attention back to the tom who had attacked her, and found herself staring into the red eyes of Megatron.

"Looks like your times up, feline." He hissed, before taking his claws and swiping them across Icestar's throat, her screech dying as the air fled her lungs and her eye sight grew black around the edges before the darkness swallowed her…

_*Optimus P.O.V.*_

Optimus fought alongside Ratchet against two toms from Blizzardclan. Soon, Optimus had driven off his attacker, and Ratchet gave a quick cuff to the tom he was fighting before letting him run away.

"Never thought we'd see you again so soon." Ratchet panted.

"Neither did I." Optimus replied. Soon, Sunblaze came running towards the toms.

"What's wrong?" Ratchet asked the panting tom.

"Icestar was attacked. She was going to tell me something but that tom, Megatron or whatever, attacked her and she told me to run." He panted. Optimus's optics widened as he recalled what Icestar had been planning to tell Sunblaze and the damage Megatron can cause. Before Optimus realized it, his pedes were carrying him in the direction Sunblaze had come in. He soon reached the small clearing, and his olfactory sensors picked up the scent of blood. He walked forward until he saw Icestar's battered body, stained red.

_*Icestar P.O.V.*_

"You have to let me go back!" Icestar screeched at Cloverspeckle.

"Calm, Icestar. Your body still needs to heal." Icestar's mother stated firmly.

"But I'm not doing much help by just sitting by and watching as my clanmates get slaughtered!" She hissed. Cloverspeckle sighed. After what seemed like an eternity, Icestar was finally deemed fit.

Icestar soon woke up in her body, her energy renewed, and he shot to her paws. In front of her she saw a shocked Optimus.

"What? You've never seen a cat come back to life before?" She snapped, before turning around and leaping back into the fray. Icestar shoved a cat to the side, slamming them into another cat, and made her way back to the middle of the battle. There she saw her beloved sister, Goldendapple, fighting the tom named Starscream. Icestar had just enough time to see her sister struck down by the tom. Icestar let out a pained scream, then propelled herself across the clearing, knocking over the gray tom and slashing at his face. Starscream shrieked as Icestar's claws scored wounds in his face, before he turned around and ran.

"Goldendapple!" Icestar wailed, crouching by her sister. Alerted by his sister's wail, Nightglare ran up.

"I'll take her." He growled, grabbing Goldendapples's scruff and quickly taking her away. Icestar glanced painfully at them, but knew they would be alright. Icestar turned around and jumped at the Snowclan deputy Swiftstorm.

"Swiftstorm!" She hissed, claws outstretched. The tom growled, and leapt at Icestar. She jumped up, and the two cats collided in midair, clawing at each other's faces, and snarling in rage. Swiftstorm ran his claws down Icestar's face, and Icestar kicked his belly in retaliation. Suddenly, the tom was pulled off. Icestar jumped to her feet to see Optimus shaking the tom by his scruff.

"Thanks." Icestar panted, jumping to her feet. The tom nodded, before turning around and leaping back to fight Coldfoot from Frostclan. Icestar turned around and got a paw to the face as Silversong from Frostclan slashed at her. Icestar snarled, and the two she-cats stood on their hind-legs and matched each other blow for blow, each other an adversary to the other. Soon, Icestar had chased off the she-cat, before she turned around and met eyes with Wildfang.

They saw a massive brown tabby tom ahead of them, and then shared a glanced with each other, nodding.

_*Optimus P.O.V.*_

Optimus watched as the two she-cats attacked the tom. They each moved as if they knew what the other was thinking, each taking blows for one another and giving blows right after another. He only had a moment to admire the she-cats' battle skills before Optimus was thrown. He turned around, snarling, to see Megatron smirking at him.

"Going to try and fight, eh?" Megatron growled, flexing his claws.

"I'm going to win, if that's what you mean." Optimus growled back. Megatron snarled, and leapt at Optimus, the two toms rolling over and over, clawing at each other's faces and other vulnerable places. Optimus was soon pinned down, Megatron's paw on his throat. The gray tom raised his other paw to deal the death blow, and Optimus closed his optics, waiting for the blow that would end his life.

Suddenly, there was a screech, and the weight on top of him was thrown off. Optimus opened his optics and scrambled to his pedes, seeing a bristling Icestar in front of him, and a shocked Megatron beyond her.

"I thought I killed you!" Megatron snarled.

"Apparently you don't have nine lives like me. They were granted to me by Starclan when I gained leadership." Icestar growled proudly, staring down the tom. Megatron hissed, then leapt at the smaller she-cat. Icestar dodged the tom, and raked her claws down his side as he flew past. Megatron shrieked in rage, and turned in his heels, and launched himself at Icestar. Icestar took his blow head on, both cats colliding, screeching in rage as they fought to defeat each other.

Optimus shook himself out of his stupor, and launched himself into the fight. But, unfortunately, Megatron was such a skilled fighter that he could take on two opponents at once. Where one thought they had the upper hand, Megatron outsmarted them at each move. Soon, Megatron knocked Icestar to the ground and scored his claws down Icestar's stomach. The she-cat screeched before shoving the tom away and standing up, refusing to be beaten. Before they had realized it, they had fought nearer to the gorge that separated Snowclan and Iceclan territory.

From what Icestar had told him, a cat that fell into the gorge wouldn't survive. If the fall and jagged rocks at the bottom didn't kill them, then the current would suck them under and they would drown. Optimus dropped back as the two still-battling cats rolled even nearer to the gorge. Soon Icestar got the upper hand.

Her pede shot out, and caught Megatron's throat, her claws slicing deep. The gray tom's yowl gurgled and cut off as scarlet blood poured down his chest. Megatron, standing on his hind legs, tipped backwards, but not before his eyes sparked and his paws grabbed Icestar's shoulders.

The unexpecting she-cat toppled over the side of the gorge, screeching her shock. Optimus stood, frozen, optics wide, as the whole battlefield became deathly silent. There was a thud, and a splash, as one of the two fell into the river, and there was no sound.

Suddenly, a paw appeared and grabbed the edge of the gorge, and another soon followed it. Then, the paws strained, and soon a black and white head appeared.

"Icestar!" Optimus mewed, and ran over to the she-cat and grabbed her scruff, helping to haul her onto solid ground. She glanced at him gratefully before returning her gaze back to the cats.

"Megatron is dead! Cats of Frostclan, Snowclan, Blizzardclan, and Sleetclan, take your dead and wounded and leave! You are leaderless! Return to your separate territories!" Icestar yowled. The cats from Iceclan, Rainclan, Hailclan, and Glacierclan gave victory cries, while the rest of the cats sagged and helped others to their pedes and walking away. Icestar started to limp forward, and Optimus noticed her wounds were dripping blood.

"You should fine one of the medicine cats." He murmured, following.

"I'm fine," She snapped, and continued to limp along. Suddenly, she let out a strangled yowl, and started running over to one of the bodies.

_*Icestar P.O.V.*_

"Brambleshade!" Icestar wailed, crouching next to her brother. The tom eye's flickered to her, before the tabby sighed.

"Looks like I won't make it out of this one." The tom mused.

"Don't say that!" Icestar screeched. "You'll make it!" She whimpered.

"Not this time." The tom stretched out his head and touched noses with Icestar. "I'll give Cloverspeckle your love." The tom wheezed, before his head dropped and his spirit left.

"No!" Icestar wailed, burying her nose in her brother's fur, trying to will him back to life. She felt someone nudge her, and looked up to see Optimus.

"Come on. You should get back to camp." He mewed. Icestar stood up, and hobbled back to camp, leaving Optimus to get Brambleshade. As Icestar stumbled into camp, she gazed at the bodies of the fallen warriors.

Thornblaze, Leafwhirl, Moonfase, Lionsoul, Cheetahsprint, Lynxblizzard, Lionleap, and Tigerflower were just some of them. Suddenly, one of the cat's pelts caught her eyes. As she wandered toward it, her eyes took in the familiar black and orange pelt of Nightglare. Next to him was Goldendapple. Icestar gazed down at her slaughtered siblings, whose bodies wore the marks of claws. Icestar stumbled back, finding herself unable to take in the scene before her. All her siblings were dead, and she spun around and walked blindly to the Ice Rock, and leaned against it.

She closed her eyes and sat there, for who knows how long, until she heard the rustling of warriors returning back to camp. She peeked through half closed eyes, and saw the head of her beloved mate, Sunblaze, enter camp. She started to make her way towards him, until she saw his scruff being held, and saw Ironhide half drag, half carry her mate into camp. The gray tom gently put down Sunblaze next to the other fallen warriors, caught her eye, and gave her a look of sympathy. Icestar sprinted over to Sunblaze, shoving past Ironhide, and stared down at Sunblaze's mangled body.

His usually well-kept tabby fur was ruffled and missing on some places, and one of his eyes were swollen shut. Icestar's eyes widened, and she refused to believe it. Her siblings were dead, and her mate. Now only her kits remained. And the only one old enough to be able to handle this was her oldest daughter, Oakleaf, the apprentice medicine cat. Icestar wailed lowly, all emotion gone. She slumped next to Sunblaze, and buried her face in his shoulder, trying to hold herself together.

***Time Skip***

Icestar didn't realize it was dawn until someone shook her awake. She looked up to see her old friend, Blackpoppy.

"It's time." Was all she said. Icestar stood up and walked away as the elders began to take away the bodies for burial. Icestar stared blankly, watching as they picked up Sunblaze and carried him out into the forest. Icestar suddenly collapsed, and broke into sobs. She vaguely saw Blackpoppy rush over to her, and began to order some other cats around. Icestar felt herself being picked up, but fell into unconsciousness as her wounds began to bleed again.

***Time Skip***

Icestar sat in front of Blackpoppy as the medicine cat checked her over one last time.

"Am I good to go?" Icestar asked dully, not caring anymore.

"I have some bad news." The she-cat said, refusing to meet her leader's eyes.

"Well, tell me now. It can't get much worse." Icestar snapped. The medicine cat sighed before looking at the she-cat before her.

"You lost the kits." Blackpoppy whispered. Icestar stared, slack-jawed. The Icestar shook herself as the news sank in, and whirled around and stumbled out of the den. She passed Optimus, who looked at her curiously.

"What wrong?" He asked.

"I lost the kits."Icestar whispered hoarsely. She ignored the look of horror on the tom's face and walked into her den.

_*Optimus P.O.V.*_

Optimus sat next to Ratchet and the others, who were gossiping about the battle. Jazz had miraculously survived, thanks to Blackpoppy.

"What's wrong?" Jazz asked Optimus. The tom looked at his friend before sighing.

"Icestar received a wound, and she… lost her kits." Optimus said. His answer was met with looks of horror and shock from the others.

"So, she lost her siblings, her mate, and her unborn kits?" Bumblebee asked, speaking for the first time on a long time.

"It appears so." Optimus answered.

"She has her other kits. The young ones, and then there's another. The medicine cat apprentice." Ratchet commented.

"That one's hers?" Jazz commented. "I din't know that." He mused, looking across the clearing. Optimus stood up, and padded over to the den, and curled up to sleep. Suddenly, he appeared in the sunlit clearing where he had met Cloverspeckle, and the she-cat was there again.

"I supposed you have questions." The she-cat sighed. "I'll answer some first."

"But-" Optimus interrupted.

"I said I'll answer your questions!" The she-cat snapped. "This was just the first battle. It isn't over yet. But the others you knew, old friends, I suppose, are making their way to you and the rest." The she-cat mewed.

"I guess that's somewhat good news." Optimus murmured, looking around.

"One more thing: You need to be there for Icestar." The she-cat said.

"What do you mean?" The tom asked.

"Her world is crashing down around her. Her mate and siblings are gone. And nothing is more devastating to a she-cat then to lose her kits. Especially if they're unborn." Cloverspeckle finished. "She needs someone other than Wildfang and the medicine cats to help her make deicisions. I have a feeling you'll know what to do." Cloverspeckle finished. The starry she-cat and the forest started to disappear, and then Optimus left in the darkness of sleep.

**And this, readers, is the first installment. There will be more chapters to come, don't worry. But this is just the first part. What I want to do is kind of go through the movies, but it will be really different. So just bear with me people.**

**Thanks for sticking around this long!**


	9. Chapter 9

**All right, next installment! Yes, this story would be ROTF if you will, but I know that the title is different, so don't think it isn't something different.**

_*Icestar P.O.V.*_

The raids had started four moons after the Great Battle. Shorter amounts of prey, and skirmishes with unknown rogues that disappeared without a trace, were what the raids were mostly about. But it wasn't what affected the clan most. IceClan lost many cats. All those lost were Thornblaze, Leafwhirl, Lionsoul, Cheetahsprint, Lynxblizzard, Tigerflower, Sparrowflight, Goldendapple, Nightglare, Brambleshade, Flarestorm, Honeyleaf, Nightfur, Moonfase, Snowblade, Nightflash, Flowerpetal, Brownear, Meadowbreeze, Winterthaw, Rainwillow, and Iciclefall.

It was especially hard for Talonstrike, as he lost his mate, Tigerflower. He spent even more time with his kits Dawnkit and Morningkit. All of Sparrowflight's and Goldendapple's kits were killed, Nightflash, Leafwhirl, Snowblade, Moonfase, and Nightfur, which was devastating for Icestar also, since Goldendapple was her sister.

But now, it was a time of celebration, as Icestar stood upon the Ice Rock and looked down at her clan. She waited as they gathered in a crowd, and then looked at the kits waiting to be apprentices. The current apprentices were Falconpaw, Hawkpaw, Ospreypaw, Speckledpaw, Spottedpaw, and Streakedpaw. Then she looked at her kits, who were going to become apprentices that day. Icestar beckoned them with her tail, and jumped down from her perch onto the ground.

"Do you promise to uphold the warrior code, and to protect and defend this clan, even at the cost of your life?" Icestar asked. She received a chorus of "I do" from all of them.

"Then from this moment on, you will be known as Bearpaw, Cougarpaw, Wolfpaw, Lynxpaw, Fawnpaw, and Graypaw. Bearpaw, your mentor will be Stormfall. Cougarpaw, your mentor will be Calicofang. Wolfpaw, you mentor will be Sleetstorm. Fawnpaw, your mentor will be Mosstalon, and Lynxpaw, your mentor will be Tigerstrike." Icestar mewed, watching the new apprentices touch noses with their mentors, before turning to Graypaw.

"Graypaw, you mentor will be…" Icestar quickly located her choice, before clearing her throat and calling out. "You mentor will be Optimus."

_*Optimus P.O.V.*_

The bewildered tom walked up to the Ice Rock, where he touched noses with Graypaw, and when the meeting broke up, turned to her.

"Me? Are you sure?" He asked.

"If I wasn't sure, I wouldn't have chosen you." Icestar mewed. Graypaw sat in front of them ,watching the exchange before Optimus turned to look at him.

"You best get yourself a nest now, Graypaw." He said. Graypaw nodded and scampered off and into the apprentices' den. Icestar turned around, but not before Optimus caught the glint of grief in her optics. The death of her siblings and mate still haunted her. The tom padded back to the other Autobots, and sat down near Ironhide.

"So, you've got an apprentice now, huh?" The tom said, an audio receptor twitching.

"Apparently so." He replied. The toms sat in silence before Ironhide stood up and stretched.

"Well, I have a border patrol to attend. I'll see you all later." The gray tom padded off.

"Don't fall into the creek!" Jazz called after him, earning a scathing glared from the retreating tom. Optimus fell silent and thought over the past few days' events. The Autobots that had arrived at IceClan were Sideswipe, a silver tom; Hound, a dark green tom; Elita-1, a light purple she-cat; Chromia, a dark blue she-cat; Arcee, a red she-cat; Springer, a dark green tom with silver legs; Skidz, a light green tom; Mudflap; a red tom; and Bluestreak; a light blue tom. Jazz glanced at Optimus and opened his mouth to say something when Icestar interrupted him.

"Do you two want to go on a patrol with me so we can check out the dam?" She asked. Both toms nodded. "Good." She said, then looked at Optimus. "You might want to bring Graypaw." She suggested. Optimus nodded, then bounded over to the apprentices' den and peeked his helm in.

"Graypaw, patrol." He said, and caught sight of his apprentice sitting with Lynxpaw. The small gray tom leapt to his pedes and followed his mentor back across camp. Icestar was waiting with Jazz near the entrance to camp, and stood as the blue and red tom came with his apprentice. Soon the four cats had arrived at the dam that held back the great river that used to sweep through the territory. Icestar jumped into the dry riverbed and sniffed the ground. She looked around suspiciously.

"There have been rogues here…" She said quietly, glancing around at the top of the dam. Icestar started as she saw Tigerlily sitting atop the dam.

"Tigerlily? What are you doing here? I thought you were assigned to a hunting patrol." Icestar asked, confused. Optimus watched the golden she-cat narrow her optics, before whirling around and darting to the far side of the dam.

"Your time has come to an end, Optimus. And yours will end as well, Icestar." The she-cat yowled, and then sank her jaws into a branch that formed part of the dam and pulled. The branch came loose, and with it, the rest of branches that held the dam together.

"Get to the side of the riverbed!" Icestar yowled. Optimus and Jazz scrambled up and over the side, and Optimus turned just in time to see Icestar and Graypaw swallowed by the raging waters.

_*Icestar P.O.V.*_

"Traitor!" Icestar yowled at Tigerlily before the water washed over her. Icestar's body was thrown through the raging waters, and she took a breath as her head broke the waters and was then shoved under again. She kicked her paws, trying to swim through the water, but to no avail. Suddenly, they breath was blown out of her as her body was slammed against a rock. She grabbed the rock with her claws and climbed onto the top of it, clinging to the surface as the waves soared over her body.

"Icestar!" The said she-cat whirled around. She just glimpsed Graypaw, her son, being sucked under the water. She glanced around, seeing another rock farther downstream, and leapt into the water. The current buffeted her, but worked to her favor as it pushed her over to Graypaw. She grabbed his scruff, and both cats were shoved towards the other rock. Icestar nudged Graypaw onto the rock first before following. Icestar shielded the apprentice from the worst of the waves, the cold water drenching her through to her skin.

"Icestar!" Icestar looked towards the voice. On the shore, she saw Wildfang, Ironhide, and Splotchfur standing next to Optimus and Jazz.

"Stay on the shore! The water can sweep you away!" Icestar called back. She looked upstream, then at the water. She noticed that the water had calmed down a bit. "Wildfang! You're a strong swimmer! Help me get Graypaw to shore!" The black and white she-cat said. The deputy nodded, then launched herself into the water, peddling strongly. Soon, the she-cat had braced herself against the rock, and helped the apprentice into the water. Icestar let the two cats get a safe distance away before preparing herself to jump into the water. As she crouched, she heard a roar, and a crack. She looked upstream, and noticed a fallen tree heading straight towards her. As it neared, Icestar could only faintly hear the others over the roar of blood in her ears.

"Icestar! Get out of there!" She heard Talonstrike yowl. The she-cat stayed stock still, pressing herself against the rock. About three foxlengths from the rock Icestar was perched on, the tree rolled and hit another rock submerged under the river. The tree barreled through the air, and Icestar stood up, ears flattened, and as she jumped, the tree caught her full in the side, throwing her into the water as the tree crashed into the water, the black and white she-cat disappearing into the depths.

_*Optimus P.O.V.*_

The felines on the shore stood on shocked silence as the realization of what had just happen sank in. Then the chaos started. Wildfang had to shout to quiet the others.

"Everyone, calm down!" She snapped. "Jazz, you're fast. Take Graypaw and go and get some of the best trackers of the clan. And bring Hound, too." She said. Talonstrike, Splotchfur, you're with me. Optimus and Ironhide, you two are together. We'll search the other side of the river." She ordered. Then, Wildfang and Talonstrike dove into the water and soon swan onto the other side.

"Come on." Optimus said to Ironhide, bounding forward. Both toms searched the shore and through the shallows of the water.

"Where could the current have taken her?" Ironhide grumbled as he shook himself, water dripping off his fur.

"Anywhere." His companion answered. Both toms looked to the forest as the bushes rustled, and Jazz appeared with Phoenixfire, Rockpath, and Hound.

"We'll go help Wildfang." Phoenixfire said, and he and Rockpath bounded away. Hound and Jazz watched them leave, before turning to Optimus and Ironhide.

"What exactly happened?" Hound asked.

"The dam broke, and Icestar was hit by a tree that was carried down river." Optimus explained. The green tom nodded, before glancing around and looking downstream.

"We should start down there, since that's where the current would have gone." The tom stated, before turning and trotting along the bank. The other three toms followed the tracker, and the green tom soon stopped and looked at a tree caught with some others between to rocks.

"There she is!" He said, his walk turning to a run. Optimus looked at the dark shape draped over one of the trees.

"Come on. I'll get her." Optimus said, breaking into a run. He leapt up onto one of the trees, using his tail for balance. He grabbed Icestar's scruff and carefully picked his way back to shore. As he jumped down and placed Icestar gently on the ground, he looked at the opposite bank, and searched for the other patrol. Seeing Wildfang walk into view, he called out to her.

"Wildfang! We found her!" He said. The deputy immediately called back to the other patrol, and all four cats came bounding across the makeshift bridge.

"Thank StarClan." The she-cat breathed. "We need to her back to camp," Wildfang ordered, grabbing the unconscious she-cat's scruff and helped place her on Talonstrike's shoulders. The going was slow, but the patrols had soon reached the camp. Owflight immediately ran into the medicine cats' den, and Blackpoppy and Oakleaf soon rushed out.

"We'll take it from here." The black she-cat grabbed the leader's scruff and gently took her into the medicine cats' den. The patrols dispersed, and Optimus walked back to the other Autocats.

"What happened?" Arcee asked.

"The dam that held the river broke and Icestar was swept into it. She had Wildfang come and help Graypaw, and as Icestar was going to jump, a tree came and swept her away." Optimus explained.

"How did it break?" Springer asked. Optimus shrugged; Icestar probably wouldn't be happy if he told others that it had been a planned attack to get rid of Icestar.

"Has anyone else noticed that Icestar has this really sad, faraway look in her optics?" Chromia asked from her place beside Ironhide.

"Yeah. I've wondered why." Hound said, coming to sit beside Springer. The Autocats that had arrived first shared a glance, which was not unnoticed by the others.

"Alright, I guess I'll explain." Optimus sighed. All optics were trained in him as he began. "When we first got here, we were found on IceClan territory. Icestar took us in, and we became part of the clan. One thing she shared with me once on patrol was that she had two half sisters in RainClan, and that her father had betrayed the Clan, and then killed her mother." Optics around the group widened, and some of them growled.

"If any tom we knew did that, they would be shunned for life!" Chromia hissed, others murmuring their agreement."

"Soon after that, the camp was attacked by FrostClan, which was the clan that had taken in the Decepticats. During the battle, Icestar lost one of her nine lives, and the younglings in the nursery were kidnapped." Optimus couldn't continue because of the outrage snarls from the others.

"Despicable!" Hound said, shaking his helm.

"Icestar then led a battle patrol to take back to kits. On the way there, she met with Rainstar of RainClan, and found out that RainClan's _and _HailClan's younglings were taken also by FrostClan." No responses met his words. "The three clans joined together into one patrol, and all younglings were rescued." Most let out sighs of relief. "Then, at the next Gathering, which is when all the clans gather in one place to share news, Megatron made himself leader of FrostClan, and framed one of the cats from IceClan for killing the FrostClan leader and deputy, which did not happen. He then declared war on the other clans, and had made an alliance with SnowClan, BlizzardClan, and SleetClan."

"That's insane! He's glitched in the head!" Springer said in disbelief.

"IceClan, RainClan, HailClan, and GlacierClan joined under an alliance, and MistClan stayed neutral, as they have the most mountainous and difficult territory to maneuver." Optimus said, and laid on the ground next to Elita-1.

"What happened then?" Bluestreak asked.

"Icestar and I were kidnapped by humans, and only escaped two days later. When we got back to the clan territories, we discovered that the war had started between opposite alliance. I went and found Ironhide while Icestar searched for Wildfang. During the battle, Icestar lost another life from the claws of Megatron, but was able to continue in the fight. She then took on Megatron, and during their fight, both fell into the gorge." The new cats had been warned to stay away from the gorge, as that falling into it can be fatal.

"Icestar managed to grab a ledge before falling into the gorge, unlike Megatron, who had fallen to his death. As the losing side left, Icestar spotted her brother, Brambleshade, lying on the ground. They shared a few words before he died, and Icestar was horrified. I brought back his body, and laid it in camp. Icestar had been looking at the bodies of the fallen warriors, and spotted her other two siblings, Nightglare and Twilightwolf, among them. So Icestar had lost all her siblings." Optimus said. Elita-1, Arcee, and Chromia shared a glance, as they were sisters. Optimus took a breath before moving onto the more emotional part of the story.

"Icestar waited for her mate Sunblaze to come back to camp. She finally saw him, but it turned out that it was his body, being brought back by Ironhide. Sunblaze had been killed by some other cat." The Prime said.

"She lost her mate, _and _her siblings?" Bluestreak said. He was about to continue but Optimus talked over him.

"After the dead were buried, the medicine cat was checking up on Icestar's wounds, and Icestar was told that she had lost her unborn younglings when she had been attacked." Optimus finished the story, and it was met with shocked and horrified silence as the others looked at each other.

"That's… just terrible." The always talkative Bluestreak was at a loss for words for the first time in his life. Most of the others just looked like they finally understood.

"Hey, there she is." Ironhide looked beyond Optimus, and all helms turned to look in the direction of the medicine cat den, where the said black and white she-cat was walking over to the Ice Rock and disappeared into her den. The Autocats fell into silence until there was a commotion from the medicine cats den.

"Get out of here!" Optimus heard one cat snarl. He jumped to his pedes, only to see Jazz and Sideswipe running out of the den at full speed, and both toms hid behind Optimus, trembling.

"Where are they!" Oakleaf, the medicine cat apprentice, stalked out of the den, fur bristling.

"What did they do?" Elita-1 asked in alarm.

"Sidestrike, whatever in StarClan his name is, hid all the herbs around the den and mixed them up in the process!" The white and brown she-cat snapped.

"Sideswipe!" Springer hissed, exasperated.

"What? Bearpaw put me up to it!" Sideswipe defended himself.

"Oh, yeah? Then why is it I can't scent him, and only you?" Oakleaf hissed. "He's also my brother, and I know him better than I know you." The she-cat seethed.

"What's this about?" Icestar bounded over to Oakleaf, having heard the commotion.

"Sideswipe messed up the herb stock!" Oakleaf growled.

"But it still doesn't explain why Jazz was in there." Optimus mused.

"I had a thorn in mah pede." Said tom replied, holding up his foot to show the hole where the thistle had been.

"Sideswipe, to make up for this, you will help Oakleaf resupply and sort the herbs." Icestar said. Sideswipe hung his helm in shame.

"Get going. You have a lot of work to do." Optimus said. The silver tom followed the outraged medicine cat apprentice, tail dragging. Icestar watched them until they disappeared, and then returned her attention to the other cats.

_*Icestar P.O.V.*_

"There's a Gathering tonight. Those of you that will be coming are Optimus, Elita-1, Arcee, Hound, and Bluestreak. And be careful. Don't tell the other clans IceClan techniques." Icestar turned around and walked over to Wildfang, who was sorting out patrols.

"Anything along the borders?" Icestar asked her deputy.

"Nothing so far." The brown tabby she-cat mewed.

"Any sign of Tigerlily?" Icestar lowered her voice so others wouldn't overhear.

"No." Wildfang curtly replied.

_*No Cat's P.O.V., Somewhere beyond IceClan Territory*_

Tigerlily stalked through the dark forest to her destination, where she would give a report of her mission. She entered the clearing where The Fallen was staying, and waited. She would give her report, and then go and stay with the other recruits, as she couldn't go back to IceClan. She dug her claws into the ground, eyes narrowed, as she pictured the final battle.

She would search for her sister, Mosstalon, and enjoy seeing the fear and horror dance through her eyes as Tigerlily bit the life out of her. Mosstalon had taken Tigerlily's lover, Emberflame, from her, and Tigerlily would be sure to get revenge. She looked up as the gray tom that was Megatron entered the clearing, and she stood and bowed, and then waited for The Fallen. The old tom walked out of the shadows, eyes narrowed in hatred.

"Well? Was your mission successful?" The old tom walked up to her.

"Yes, Icestar is dead." The she-cat mewed proudly.

"And what of Optimus? Is he dead?" The Fallen asked. Tigerlily fidgeted.

"No. He jumped to higher ground before the water hit him." She said quietly. The Fallen growled, and then his paw lashed out and slashed Tigerlily's throat. The move was unexpected, and the golden she-cat had no time to dodge. Tigerlily fell to the ground, twitching, blood pouring out of her throat, before her body gave one last spasm before going still.

"Stupid she-cat!" The Fallen hissed. "Starscream! Dispose of the body." The said tom stalked past and picked up the she-cat's body.

"Why do I always get stuck with the grunt work?" The tom growled, walking away.

"It's up to you now, my apprentice." The Fallen said.

"Finally. I will get my revenge." Megatron hissed gleefully. "If only I could get my claws on Icestar, too. That would fill my heart with joy. When will the attack start?"

"Patience. The spy said that there was a Gathering. Tomorrow, you can get your revenge."

"Good." Megatron slashed at the ground, leaving long, deep, furrows in the dirt.

_*Icestar P.O.V.*_

"Come on! We'll be late if we don't hurry!" Icestar called behind her. The cats chosen for the patrol were Wildfang, Embertalon, Phoenixfire, Shadestare, Sleetstorm, Hollyleaf, Rockfall, Jaguarheart, Falconpaw, Patchtail, Hawkpaw, Optimus, Elita-1, Arcee, Hound, and Bluestreak. Icestar could hear Bluestreak chatting with Rockfall, the two cats got along quite well since they both could talk on and on. Soon, Icestar and the rest of the patrol arrived at the clearing, and Icestar bounded through the cats and leapt up onto the rock where the leaders met.

"Icestar." Rainstar mewed, dipping her head.

"Rainstar, Eaglestar." Icestar returned the motion, sitting down next to her half sister. The other leaders were there except for FrostClan.

"Do you know who the new leader for FrostClan is? They had a bought of greencough that killed off the new leader after you-know-who, and the deputy died in one of those raids." Icestar mewed.

"No, but I've heard he's pretty inexperienced." Eaglestar mused. Suddenly, a rustling at the edge of the clearing announced the arrival of FrostClan. A black tom raced through the crowd and leapt up onto the leaders' rock.

"Ah, Midnightlight." Phoenixstar mewed.

"Actually, it's Midnight_star_ now." The tom mewed proudly.

"Let's get started, then." Wolfstar of GlacierClan mewed. Wolfstar gave his report, and then Sleekstar of SnowClan began. After her went Nightstar of SleetClan, Phoenixstar of MistClan, Badgerstar of BlizzardClan, Midnightstar, Eaglestar, Rainstar, and the Icestar. After her report, the Gathering split up, each cat going their own way.

"That Gathering was short." Wildfang commented.

"Well, it's better than staying there all night." Icestar bushed up her fur. "Let's get back to camp."

***Time Skip,**_Optimus P.O.V.*_

Optimus stretched in the morning sun, enjoying its warmth. He heard footsteps behind him and turned to see his mate, Elita-1.

"Good morning," She purred.

"Good morning," He replied back warmly. Optimus walked over to Jazz, who was talking with Pureheart, one of the elders. Jazz turned and looked at Optimus and opened his mouth the say something, but Icestar sprinted over.

"I need you two to come with Stormfall, Wildfang, Tigerstrike and I. One of the warriors reported a patrol of rogues in our territory. We're going to meet Sleetstorm, Shadestare, and Hollyleaf nearby where the rogues were first sighted." Icestar growled before spinning on her heels and running to the entrance of camp, where the silver she-cat Wildfang, the black tom Tigerstrike, and the grabby tabby tom Stormfall stood. Icestar didn't even stop and pause before running out into the forest.

"I hate goin' on patrols with Icestar." Jazz grumbled. Optimus shot his friend a confused look as they followed at the back of the patrol.

"Why?" The red and blue tom asked, genuinely confused.

"She 'as longah legs than meh, and always sets the pace fast enough that I have ta sprint to keep up with 'er."

"So, you're basically complaining about your short legs?" Another voice joined them. Optimus turned to look on his other side to see Shadestare. The black she-cat had a humorous glint in her eyes.

"No!" Jazz snapped.

"Yes." Shadestare replied back. Jazz grumbled something incoherent.

"Shut it, Jazz!" Wildfang snapped from ahead as Icestar stopped the patrol. Jazz's jaw dropped and he gave an incredulous look to Optimus. _I didn't do anything! _He mouthed to the blue and red tom. Optimus noticed Icestar beckoning him to her with her tail. Obeying, he crept silently until he was crouched next to her.

"Do you recognize any of these toms?" She asked. Optimus concentrated on the scene ahead of him. He let out a gasp as he recognized some of them.

"It's- It's- Megatron." He said hoarsely. Icestar looked at him with shocked eyes.

"How can this be? He died! I saw him fall into the gorge myself!" She said.

"It's him. Just trust me." Optimus said. Icestar quickly looked at the patrol.

"On my signal, we attack!" Icestar hissed. Optimus watched the she-cat as she flicked her audio receptors twice, and the patrol sprang into the clearing. They had caught the Decepticons off guard, and the Clan cats had the odds in their favor. As Optimus shoved away a dark colored tom, he glanced at the other side of the clearing to see a dozen more felines rushing into the clearing.

"Hollyleaf!" He heard Icestar yowl. "Get back-up from camp!" The black warrior nodded at her leader and raced away into the undergrowth. Optimus turned around and found himself face to face with Megatron.

"Megatron!" The blue and red tom snarled. The other tom grinned maliciously before leaping at Optimus. Both toms rolled, biting and kicking each other. Optimus got in a good clawing to Megatron's face, but Megatron picked up Optimu's scruff and threw him against a tree. As the blue and red tom struggled to get up, the much bigger gray tom pinned him down, and raced his claws.

"Say good night!" The tom cackled, and his claws gleamed as they scored four deep lines in Optimus's throat. Optimus's sight faded to black as the gray tom jumped away…

_*Icestar P.O.V.*_

The cat Icestar was fighting turned and ran as another cat called a retreat. A rustling in the bushes announced the arrival of the backup patrol. Icestar turned around and counted all her warriors, except for one. She glanced around the clearing for Optimus, and then her eyes rested on the crumpled blue and red pelt. Hey eyes widened, and she darted over to the tom, and looked him over. His body showed no signs of life, and he made no move when Icestar nudged him. Icestar turned to look at Wildfang, who had followed her leader. The she-cat's eyes were wide, and both were silent.

"Come on! Where did those rogues go? Why are we just standing here?" Ironhide walked over to the tow she-cats, but stopped and stood stock still when he saw what lay beyond him.

"Oh, no! No, no! What happened!" The tom snarled is disbelief. The others of the patrol gathered around them, most looking at each other in disbelief. As the cats started to ask what Ironhide had asked, Icestar raised her voice.

"Everyone, quiet! We need to bring his body back to camp and get our wounds treated." She commanded. The commotion quieted down, but not by much. Icestar helped Ironhide place Optimus's body on his shoulders, and the patrol trudged wearily back to camp. As the patrol entered camp, Icestar spotted Elita-1, Optimus's mate, and immediately felt her heart twinge for the she-cat who would have to feel the pain Icestar had. As Optimus's body was placed in the center of clearing, Icestar walked over to Elita, dread filling her quickly.

"Elita," Icestar coughed. The she-cat looked up from her conversation with her sisters. She did not miss the grief filled look in the leader's eyes.

"What's wrong?" Elita asked, worried. Icestar shifted herself so that Elita-1 could see what lay in the center of camp. The she-cat let out a grief-filled wail, and bolted over to Optimus's side, where she trembled. Icestar followed the she-cat prepared to comfort her, but was startled as the she-cat whirled around, claws flashing and fangs bared.

"How could you let this happen!" The she-cat howled. Icestar backed away. "Why didn't you help him!"

"I swear, I had no idea he needed help! He didn't call out, and I was also fighting for my life!" Icestar said, shaking her head.

"You should have protected him! But you didn't! You didn't protect him just like you couldn't protect Sunblaze!" The she-cat shrieked. Pain filled Icestar's eyes as she remembered seeing Sunblaze's body brought into the clearing. Icestar looked at Elita, who gave Icestar a shocked and horrified look, which also showed that Elita instantly regretted what she had said. She opened her mouth to say something, but Icestar just shook her head slowly and walked away.

**Alright, ten pages! Don't ever expect another chapter like this. Ever. I don't know why it's so long, it just is. I hope it makes up for the long wait!**

**~4635 words**


	10. Chapter 10

_*Icestar P.O.V.*_

As Icestar curled up in her nest, Elita-1's words kept circulating through her mind.

"_You should have protected him! But you didn't! You didn't protect him just like you couldn't protect Sunblaze!"_

Icestar wondered if what the she-cat had said was true. At that moment, Icestar felt sick, the pain clouding her mind and consciousness too much. She screwed her eyes shut, and waited for sleep.

*.*

Icestar woke up in a budding clearing. She uncurled herself and stood up, looking about herself. She angled her ears as the bushes in front of her rustled, and she watched as her brother, Brambleshade, walked out.

"Brother!" Icestar mewed joyously, and ran to meet him. They rubbed muzzles, and Icestar looked up at her slightly taller brother. "What do you have to tell me?" She asked, serious now. The brown tom never broke contact as he walked behind her to a pool of water. Icestar followed him, and looked at the surface as Brambleshade sat down.

"A great battle is coming." The tom gravely said.

"When?" Icestar demanded.

"I do not know. But it will be soon. There is a way for it to be won." Brambleshade mewed, staring at his sister.

"Tell me! Stop stalling!" The black and white she-cat hissed.

"There is a way to revive Optimus." Icestar's brother's words caught the she-cat off-guard.

"How? There is no way possible!"

"The tale of how to revive someone was kept as a secret when the Winter Clans first started. The first nine leaders knew of it, but never told anyone, in case someone was to abuse the power. But, one of the leaders, who lead BlizzardClan, abused the power by using it to cure and revive all his warriors in his conquest for full power. The remaining leaders decided it would be best to hide the power, and it was hidden deep underground, and placed guards along the path to the power. The leader of BlizzardClan, with no access to the power, was killed when one of the other leader's killed him." Brambleshade explained.

"But that still doesn't explain how to revive one." Icestar meowed, annoyed with the long explanation.

"Go to the WinterStone, and there will be a tunnel that branches off from the main cave, that is hidden to all until the right time is near. When you find the cave, all your needs, such as hunger and thirst, will disappear, and you will face a challenge that will either save or break the clans." Brambleshade answered. "The power is a stone that glows with a blue light, and will only break apart for those with a pure heart and who had no intention of using it for their own use."

"After you get it, how do you revive the dead body?" Icestar asked. Brambleshade explained the process, which was understandable but not something that anyone would do every day.

*.*

As the dream faded, Icestar woke with a start, and quickly bounded out of the den, heading towards Ratchet, who was stretching.

"Ratchet! Gather as much of your group as you can!" Icestar hissed. The tom nodded, and ran off, occasionally stopping and telling the others of Icestar's meeting. Soon most of the others were gathered in front of Icestar, curious at her sudden meeting. The cats that were missing were Hound; who was helping a patrol search for the patrol of rogues, Elita-1, who was somewhere in the territory, according to her sisters (Icestar did not particularly feel like dealing with the she-cat at that time), Sideswipe; who was helping Oakleaf and Blackpoppy, and Springer; who was battle training with Embertalon. Icestar took a deep breath before starting to speak in a low voice.

"I received a dream last night from StarClan and I was told of a way to revive Optimus." Icestar began, ignoring the wide eyes of the surrounding cats. She quickly explained the journey, and who she would be taking with her. The other cats agreed, though some looked on doubtfully. As the group dispersed. Ratchet leaned towards her.

"But where would we keep Optimus's body?" The tom asked. Icestar thought for a moment, before getting an idea.

"At the end of my den, the cave branches into many other tunnels. You can place his body at the end of the first tunnel on the left." Icestar nodded to the tom, before spinning on her heels and racing over to Wildfang.

"Wildfang!" Icestar meowed. "I received a dream from StarClan, and I have to go the WinterStone." The leader said.

"What for?" The brown she-cat mewed.

"Brambleshade told me of a way to revive Optimus." Icestar mewed, and then leaned closer to Wildfang. "I didn't tell anyone else for it would cause a panic." The deputy's eyes grew wide. "Brambleshade told me that a great battle is coming. He does not know when, but soon." Icestar mewed furiously.

"Alright. I will stand in as temporary leader for now." Wildfang mewed.

"Thanks." Icestar purred, and touched noses with her friend before turning around and running back to the cats she had chosen for her patrol. She stopped as she neared Bumblebee, Mudflap, and Skidz. She turned to look at Ratchet as the tom trotted over to her.

"Is it a good idea to take those two?" He asked, flicking his tail at the twins.

"I think it will. Hopefully they will gain some maturity because of it." Icestar answered.

"I highly doubt it." Ratchet snorted, before turning away. Icestar redirected her attention to the three toms before her.

"Are you ready?" Icestar asked.

"If we wasn't ready, we woulda told ya." Mudflap said. Icestar rolled her eyes before breaking into a run and heading for the camp entrance. Icestar lengthened her stride as she broke through the barrier, and soon the group began to race through the forest, the sky darkening with clouds. Icestar slowed her pace as they neared the edge of the forest, and since their leaving of the camp, it had begun to pour rain. As Icestar came into the view of the river, her eyes widened.

"How will we evah cross dat?" Skidz fretted. Icestar paced up and down the riverbank, looking for any point that could served as a bridge.

"Up there!" Icestar mewed, and she ran upstream, her paws sending pebbles in the direction opposite of where she was running. Up ahead was a tree caught between two rocks. Icestar jumped up first and tested its weight, before jumping back down.

"You all go first. I'll go last in case I have to fish any of you out of the water." Icestar mewed. Bumblebee jumped first, and carefully walked across to the other side, before jumping down off the log onto the other side. Skidz and Mudflap went next, the brothers bickering the entire way. Icestar jumped up last, and hurried across the slick surface of the log. As she jumped down onto the opposite shore, the tree buckled into the water and disappeared downstream.

"Dat was close," Mudflap muttered. Icestar nodded her agreement, and the patrols of cats continued through the other side of the river, into SnowClan territory. The forest soon thinned out into a moor, the grass reaching up to the cats' shoulders. They ducked into clumps of gorse and patrols ran by, but not spotted. Soon, the cats reached the hole in the cliff face that lead to the WinterStone. As Icestar prepared to enter the darkness, a scent reached her nose, and she did not recognize it. The owner of the scent, a tom, hobbled out of the darkness, red eyes glowing.

"What is this?" He snapped, more annoyed than angry. The tom was old enough to be an elder, dark gray, with darker points, As he took in the cats before him, he pointed a claw at them.

"Are you the ones they said would come? If so, my designation is Jetfire."


	11. Chapter 11

**If any of you didn't see the author's note, I rewrote the first chapter and started calling the Autobots and Decpeticons by a different name. You'll figure them out soon enough.**

_*Icestar P.O.V.*_

"Decepticat!" Mudflap and Skidz squeaked. Icestar hissed at the tom, who simply snorted.

"Decepticat? Please. I switched sides long ago." The tom said, exasperated. "You see one tom with red eyes, and immediately think he's evil." Jetfire meowed, exasperated.

"How do we know that you switched sides for certain?" Icestar growled. Jetfire rolled his eyes.

"I was put here as a sentry by StarClan to help whatever cat was supposed to claim the stone that could revive someone." The dark gray tom mewed. Icestar's eyes widened, as she realized the tom was telling the truth. "Come on. I was told the battle is near. If you want to revive whoever it is you want to revive, we better get going." Jetfire said, turning around and walking into the darkness. Icestar looked back at the others and shrugged before following the tom. Icestar let her eyes adjust to the darkness before moving confidently through the tunnel to the main cave with the WinterStone in it. Jetfire was waiting for them beside to stone, tail curled around his paws. He stood as the four cats came into view.

The tom led them to a small cavern that branched off from the main one, which Icestar had never noticed before, as it was hidden behind a rock.

"I've never noticed that before." Icestar told Jetfire.

"That's because it only opens the when the time for the one chosen to retrieve the stone comes. It opened only a few days ago." Jetfire mused. The tunnel soon grew pitch black, and Icestar could tell the cats behind her were getting nervous.

"What happens if we get stuck down here!" Skidz called from behind her.

"Oh please. It won't." Jetfire said from up ahead.

"For all we know, he could be leading us into a Decepticat ambush." Mudflap muttered.

"I heard that!" Jetfire hissed. Icestar rolled her eyes, annoyed by the brothers. After a while, even Icestar began to worry whether or not the tunnel would come to a dead end, until Icestar noticed that Jetfire had disappeared from in front of her.

"Bumblebee?" Icestar called. "Mudflap? Skidz?" No response. Icestar tried turning around in the small tunnel, but it was too narrow, and Icestar was forced to continue straight, through the darkness. Icestar saw a faint light ahead, and hurried to it. She hoped for a way out as the tunnel opened up, but instead the glow intensified, and Icestar saw the source if it. The bright light was an ice blue, and Icestar squinted since it was so bright. She could see the clump of gem that was in the center of the light. Suddenly, the a piece of the gem about the size of an acorn broke off of the main gem. Icestar bent to retrieve it and, as soon as she touched it, a voice thundered through the cavern, shaking the ground. The voice spoke in a foreign language, and the ground beneath Icestar shook and cracked, sending her down into the earth.

*.*

Icestar woke up in a pale glade. Objects that looked like fireflies were floating in the air, and as Icestar pawed at one, it softly floated away. Icestar heard a voice from somewhere, and listened.

"_This is your trial that you must overcome in order to prove yourself worthy of being able to use the Revival Stone. If you fail this test, you will be killed immediately, with no second chance. If you choose incorrectly at the end of the trial, or be caught by the stones, you will be killed. If you are touched by a guardian, that trial is a failure and you will be killed. What you must do is collect the twelve shards of Revival Stone. You only have to touch them with your muzzle to collect one. Once you find all twelve, you will make your way towards the glowing blue beacon where you will face the final test. If you find any water and happen to touch it, it will alert the guardians to your presence immediately. And remember, once you step out of the dirt circle, the stone guardians will know where you are."_

Icestar noticed she was standing in a flat dirt circle. Icestar decided it would be a good idea to look for the hard to reach ones first. She looked around the clearing, and saw one gem leading to a trail and another on top of a pile of rocks. Steeling her nerves, she put a paw out of the dirt circle. Immediately, everything was tinted in an orange color, and something that sounded similar to a bird's scream sounded. Icestar bounded up the rocks, and touched the gem with her muzzle. The world turned back to normal, or at least what was normal in that realm, as everything was tinted blue-green. As Icestar straightened, right in front of her was a stone cat figure with glowing blue eyes, not a whisker length from her nose. Letting out a shriek of terror and surprise, the she-cat tumbled from her perch back into the stone circle. Trembling, Icestar looked back up at the frozen figure. The cat thing was frozen in mid-leap, with claws outstretched and jaw open in a snarl.

Icestar shuddered, and looked around again. She headed in the opposite direction, and when she took a step out, the world was tinted orange again. Icestar sprinted through the undergrowth, and heard the sounds of pursuit as she heard a guardian roar and come after her. She finally found another gem, and touched it, which stopped the guardians. Icestar waited for the world to turn orange again, as she was outside the circle, when she heard the voice again.

"_The gems. As you have noticed, when you retrieve a gem, the guardians stop. This creates a very small time limit for you to move freely. But when that time limit is up, the guardians will be on the move again."_

"I guess that helps," Icestar muttered. She trotted along, every muscle tense and ready to spring away. She soon walked back and found the first gem she had seen, and retrieved it. She set off along the trail she had first seen. As she jumped over a creek, the bird's scream sounded, and Icestar jumped short and landed in the water. As the voice had warned, four stone guardians burst out of the bushes and roared. Icestar squeaked, her usual composure gone. She jumped and ran, clawing her way up a tree. To her advantage, a gem was placed in a fork in the tree. She touched it with her nose, and the guardians froze. Icestar took a breath. Four found, eight to go. Icestar walked along the branch before jumping down. She then spotted a gem at the bottom of a ravine on a rocked surrounded by grass. Icestar leapt down lightly onto the rock, only to have the world turn orange. The rock Icestar had jumped down onto uncurled itself and took a swipe at her. Icestar ducked just in time and ducked underneath the guardian, managing to just scrape the gem with her nose before the guardian slammed its paws down onto her.

Icestar sat back on her haunches, panting. She sat for a bit before looking for her next gem. She saw her next gem on a ledge. She carefully looked the ledge over, as the last time she hadn't look, she had nearly ended her life. After making sure it was safe, she scrambled up onto the ledge and grabbed the gem. The bird's cry echoed again, and so did the voice.

"_You have reached the halfway point. The time you are given after retrieving a gem has been cut in half. Proceed with caution."_

When the voice finished, the world was orange, and Icestar sprang into a run, heart pounding as she raced through the forest. The next gem was placed in a crevice, which Icestar had to reach down with a paw and drag it out before being caught by a guard. Icestar continued her search and found another gem, this on hidden deep in a thorn bush. As Icestar pulled out her paw holding the gem, her foreleg was drenched in blood from the thorns. Eight gems found, four to go.

The last four were the hardest to find, as Icestar had expected. Icestar padded along the base of a cliff face, worrying about when her shortened time would run out. She faintly saw the blue glow out of the corner of her eye and looked up and saw noticed the blue light coming from a ledge high up on the cliff face. She sighed and leapt up onto the first ledge. She dug her claws into the rough surface, and hauled herself up the cliff face. As she reached the top, the bird cry sounded, and the sudden sound caused Icestar to nearly fall. Luckily, she grabbed the gem before a guardian caught her. Icestar continued up the cliff face, becoming exhausted as she reached the top and found one more gem. The next gem was harder to find, as it was buried beneath the ground somewhere. Icestar dug until her muscles ached and she was missing a few claws. She finally reached the glow that signaled the eleventh gem.

"_Well done. One more to find. But this one is by far the hardest. This one is attached to the guardian's neck that is stationed at where you will take the final test."_

Icestar sighed for what seemed like the hundredth time. As she looked around, she spotted that beacon that would aid her search for the last gem. Her trot turned to a gallop as she sprinted through the forest, and after a while, for if she had been searching for a different gem, the time limit would have certainly been up, she found a clearing where a another stone guardian stood. As Icestar entered the clearing, she stopped and studied the guardian. It was no different than the others, except for the fact it had a gem dangling around its neck. Icestar cautiously stalked forward, and as she leaned in to the gem with her muzzle, the stone guardian sprang to life. As Icestar's nose touched the gem, at the same moment, the guardian's front paws came down on her shoulders. Icestar remembered the voice's warning:

_f you are touched by a guardian, that trial is a failure and you will be killed…_


	12. Chapter 12

**I replaced the author's not in chapter 11with an actual chapter. You need to read chapter 11 before reading this. And yes, I got the idea for the guardians and trial and Revival Stone shards from Legend of Zelda: Skyward Sword**

_*Icestar P.O.V.*_

Icestar was floating in nothingness. No StarClan, no nothing. The guardian touched her. She was dead, with no second chance. What was left of Icestar was crushed with disappointment, as she would never see her kits again, nor lead her clan again. The nothingness was so black that Icestar couldn't see at all. Suddenly, she felt the sensation of falling, and she hit something hard. Icestar's eyes snapped open, and she saw grass in front of her eyes.

"_You have succeeded in the first part of the trial. You are now to move on." _ The voice echoed.

"But the guardian touched me! You said no second chances!" Icestar called out to the voice.

"_The guardian touched you after you retrieved the stone. It doesn't count."_

Icestar sat and thought about this. She was alive, and could still get the Revival Stone. She headed on to the where the beacon was placed, and soon came across a clearing with pillars of stone placed around it. In the center of the clearing was the Revival Stone shard the Icestar had first saw in the cavern. She padded towards it when four spires of rock erupted out of the ground, creating a barrier between the gem shard and Icestar.

"_Now is the final test. You will have to choose which path to take. Choose incorrectly and you will be killed. Choose correctly and you will gain the right to retrieve the Revival Stone shard."_

Icestar waited for the voice to tell her what the last part of the trial would be. After moments of silence, Icestar decided to ask for herself.

"What am I supposed to choose between?" The she-cat called.

"_The choice is to choose between the survival of your clan, or using the Revival Stone for a single life. Remember, you must choose what is best for the clan." _The voice echoed.

Icestar sat down on her haunches, eyes wide. She had no idea what to choose. As a leader, it was her duty to choose what's best for the clan. But she also promised the others to bring back the Revival Stone. Icestar closed her eyes in concentration, and then they snapped open when Icestar remembered something her brother, Brambleshade, had not said, but implied. Icestar made her decision, and stood up determinedly.

"I have made my decision." The she-cat said.

"_And that decision is?" _The voice asked

"I have decided to use the shard to revive a single life." Icestar's voice echoed. The ground shook, and the sky roared with thunder magnified to a deafening sound that shook the ground. Icestar felt her body collapse as her vision grew dark, and Icestar's heart stopped as she realized she had made the wrong decision…

*.*

Icestar's body jolted as her eyes opened. She found herself sprawled in front of the Revival Stone, the shard that had broken off lying in front of her and pulsing with light. Icestar took a grateful breath that she had chosen right, and was still alive. She jumped to her feet, and turned around as she heard gasps from behind her.

"Looks like you chose right." Jetfire sighed in relief.

"What happened to you all that I was separated from you?" Icestar asked.

"There was a place where the tunnel split, and I quickly took the others down the other tunnel. The stone was only something the chosen could have found by themselves, not with others present. After we were sure you found it, we came to see if you were alive or not. When we arrived, we realized you were in your trial, and we sat down to wait. You were out quite a while." Jetfire answered.

"For a while, we was sure you was dead!" Mudflap mewed.

"That's reassuring." Icestar mewed sarcastically.

"Come on. We must go. The war could have started." Jetfire said, standing up and walking in a brisk pace down the tunnel. Icestar shook herself to rid herself of the terrifying visions that still haunted her mind of her trial, and picked up the piece of Revival Stone shard. Icestar followed Jetfire, the other three toms following. Soon, they reached the main cavern which held the Winter Stone. Icestar took the lead as they started up the main tunnel. Soon, Icestar broke into the moonlight and into the fresh air.

"Jetfire," Icestar mewed, turning to look at the tom. "Would you like to come back to the clan with us?" The leader asked. The dark gray tom stood and stared into the distance.

"Well… my job here is done…" Jetfire mewed.

"I'm sure the elders would be glad to have you." Icestar prompted.

"I'm not that old!" Jetfire snapped.

"I wasn't implying it. But since you brought it up…" Icestar mewed, amusement playing in her eyes. Jetfire growled, before shaking his head.

"Oh, why not?" The tom mewed, grumbling and coming to a stop next to Icestar.

"Now that that's settled, come on. We need to get back to the camp quickly." Icestar said. She broke into a run, and the others followed quickly. Icestar bounded over the moor that was SnowClan territory, and they strangely didn't meet any patrols. Icestar, having a sinking feeling in her stomach, picked up the pace. She flew over the ground, legs stretched out and running as fast as she could. Soon, they crossed the tree bridge where the new river was, and into IceClan territory. Icestar noticed that the territory was strangely quiet, but the fact that even the birds were quiet sent her into a quiet panic. As they neared the camp, they could hear the battle cries.

"We too late!" Skidz cried. Icesetar narrowed her eyes leapt over a thorn bush, pudding towards the camp entrance.

"Bumblebee!" She yowled. The yellow tom stopped. "Take Jetfire to the other elders and help defend them." Icestar ordered. The young tom nodded, and Icestar raced through the camp entrance and into the camp. Inside she saw cats fighting and screeching, claws and fangs glinting in the night. Icestar spotted Ratchet fighting near Ironhide, and ran over to them. She placed the shard under her paw to hide it.

"Come on. We need to get Optimus's body." Icestar mewed. The toms nodded, and they raced to Icestar's den while Icestar grabbed the shard and guarded the entrance. Soon they came out with Optimus's body and laid it on the ground.

"How do we revive him?" Ironhide asked.

"The process that I was told is that you have to cut open his chest and place the shard inside his chest." The two toms gave her wild looks. "Just do it!" Icestar snapped. Icestar turned to look at the battle as Ratchet took his claw and started to work. Icestar spotted some of the Decepticats that had been in the Battle of the Gorge, and saw some new ones. Icestar turned around as Ratchet got her attention. Ignoring the mess, Icestar picked up the shard and placed it in Optimus's chest. As she stepped back, the shard glowed a light blue, and the whole in Optimus's chest started to heal itself.

"Impossible." Icestar heard Ratchet murmur. As the whole sealed itself, Optimus's ribcage started moving.

"Stay here with him until he can stand and fight. I need to find Wildfang." Icestar ordered, before whisking away into the crowd.

"Icestar!" Icestar heard her deputy's voice. The two she-cats found each other, and quickly rubbed whiskers.

"Did you find the thing that would be able to revive Optimus?" The deputy asked.

"Yes, Ratchet and Ironhide are with him now." Icestar mewed. The deputy nodded before running and leaping back into the fray. Icestar looked around for anyone to help, and darted away into the fight. She let out a screech as she tackled a tom. The tom had red eyes, much like his companions, and Icestar slashed his face

"Get out of my camp!" She snarled, kicking his stomach and slashing his face. The tom howled, and Icestar let him up and watched as he made a straight path for the camp entrance. She let out a yowl as she was thrown by a cat that had grabbed her scruff. She landed on her paws and turned to face the enemy.

"Megatron!" Icestar screeched. The tom grinned.

"I was waiting for when you would show up." The tom smirked.

"Get out of my camp before I rip you in half!" Icestar snarled, her claws digging into the ground. She leapt at the tom, knocking him off his paws. "You're no better than dirt!" She bit down on his foreleg, but the tom ripped it away from her before throwing her off and away from him. She tackled her, scoring his claws across her face, and she let out a screech, blood running into her eyes. She blinked the blood out of her eyes, and saw Megatron's face inches away from hers.

"I should have killed a long time ago. And now, it'll happen. Slowly, and _painfully._" The tom raised a paw, and Icestar screwed her eyes shut, awaiting the blow. It never came. Icestar opened her eyes and saw that Megatron had vanished. Icestar rolled to her feet, and saw the familiar pelt of Optimus. I

"How are you alive!" Megatron snarled.

"In a way you'll never know." Optimus hissed back. Icestar joined her friend in chasing off Megatron, who simply growled and ran off into the battle.

"Do you feel better?" Icestar joked.

"Much." Optimus said. The two cats nodded to each other, before parting and returning back to the battle. Icestar was fighting a light gray tom when she heard the call for help. Kicking the tom away, Icestar looked around for the source of the cry. Icestar growled, and ran over to aid the she-cat, and attacked one of the two cats attacking Elita-1. She cuffed the biggest one over the head, dazing him, and grabbed his scruff, and shook him, then tossed him over to Shadestare, who was nearby and had just defeated her own enemy, and attacked the tom. Icestar turned and shoved away the tom attacking Elita-1. The she-cat got up with an appalled look in her eyes.

"You… you saved me." The she-cat breathed. "Even after everything I said."

"I won't let a clanmate die if I can do a thing about it." Icestar mewed, nodding her head. Suddenly, Icestar was thrown by a dark brown tom, who pinned her down. Icestar twisted her head as jaws snapped just where her heck had been. Icestar shoved her hind paws into the tom's belly, and threw him off, where he landed on the ground, winded. Icestar pounced, clawing at his hide and face until he squealed and slipped away. Icestar turned to look at Elita-1, but instead saw the she-cat drenched in blood. Icestar's breath hitched in her throat, and the black and white she-cat rushed over, crouching next to Elita.

"Elita!" Icestar mewed, eyes wide. The she-cat's eyes flickered, staring straight at Icestar.

"Did you revive Optimus?" The she-cat asked hoarsely. Icestar nodded, blinking. "Good. I want you to take care of him, Icestar." Elita murmured.

"No, you're going to be okay." Icestar turned her head around, and was about to call for the one of the medicine cats, before ELita-1 interrupted.

"No, I won't survive this. But tell Optimus I love him one last time." The she-cat closed her eyes, and never opened them again. Icestar bowed her head at the fallen warrior, before taking the dead she-cat's scruff and taking the body to the edge of the clearing where it wouldn't be disturbed by the fight.

_*Optimus P.O.V.*_

Optimus had just swatted a light gray tom away before whirling around and looking to see if anyone needed help. His optics caught his apprentice, Graypaw, cornered against a tree, being lashed at by the tom Optimus recognized as The Fallen. Optimus snarled, and sprinted across the clearing, tackling The Fallen and shoving him away from Graypaw.

"Go find your mother, she'll keep you safe." Optimus hissed at his apprentice. The gray tom nodded fearfully, and Optimus watched him run and weave around cats before he spotted Graypaw find Icestar. In his distraction, Optimus was thrown off his pedes, and he rolled to over the ground. He crouched, catching his breath, and saw The Fallen creep towards him.

"So, I see Icestar retrieved the Revival Shard. I didn't think she would pass the trial." The Fallen snarled. "I knew we should have killed the tom that guarded the entrance to the Stone, and destroyed it." The Fallen slashed at Optimus, the blow sending the tom flying, until he ended up sprawled on the ground. Optimus heard another set of paw steps, and looked up to see Megatron standing next to The Fallen. Optimus snarled weakly, his helm spinning. He heard Megatron chuckle.

"Maybe now would be the time to finish you off permanently." Optimus was pressed into the ground as Megatron walked over and slammed a paw down on the other tom's shoulders. Two shadows were cast over his vision as The Fallen and Megatron stared down at Optimus.

"You can never stay dead, can you?" The Fallen hissed. Optimus struggled to get up, but the pressure on his shoulders was intensified.

"Is this what you've stooped to? Murdering innocents?" Optimus growled.

"You mean killing off those too weak to survive?" The Fallen snarled.

"They were femmes and younglings!" Optimus hissed.

"That doesn't matter. What matters was that they were too weak to fight back." Megatron smacked Optimus. Optimus saw The Fallen unsheathe his claws and raise a paw. Optimus knew that death was coming, and that Icestar had revived him in vain. Right before the paw came down on his helm, all three toms heard a screech, and the weight on Optimus shoulders was lifted as a she-cat rammed into Megatron and The Fallen. Optimus rolled to his feet to see Icestar, standing on her hind legs, taking on both toms at once. He rushed to her side, and he attacked The Fallen while Icestar continued to batter Megatron with her claws.

"I told you we should have gone after the Revival Stone!" The Fallen hissed at Megatron. Optimus scored his claws across The Fallen's face. The older tom faltered for a bit, and Optimus took that chance to bowl him over, and sank his jaws into The Fallen's neck. The tom faltered, and then his body spasmed as his life ended. Optimus heard Megatron sound the retreat, and glimpsed the tom running away with half his face missing. The tom glared at Optimus.

"This isn't over!" He snarled, and then ran into the forest along with the other retreating cats. Icestar turned to look at Optimus.

Icestar nodded to him, and then quickly darted around the clearing, assessing the damage. Around him, Optimus saw the fallen bodies of warriors, and some of the bodies moved, showing life. Icestar nosed one, and when it didn't get up, she shook her head, and then, her rounds around the camp done, she jumped up onto the Ice Rock, and sounded the call for the Clan to gather.

"We have lost valuable warriors today. Mossvine, Smokewhisker, Phoenixfire, and Eaglestream were killed." Optimus looked over at Wildfang, as Phoenixfire and Eaglestream were her sons. The she's optics were wide, and Optimus watched the she-cat shove her way through the crowd and towards the bodies of her sons, Tigerstrike following, Wildfang sat down on her haunches, and she leaned into Tigerstrike's side, their helms bowed. "But their death was not in vain. They died protecting their Clan, which is all that is asked of them." Icestar finished. Icestar jumped down from her perch, and walked over to Optimus.

"There's something you should see." Icestar murmured, and Optimus followed her across the clearing, confuse, but dreading each step, even though he had no idea what Icestar was talking about. There was a little copse just outside the camp wall, and Icestar lead Optimus to it. Optimus had no idea what to expect, but never expected to see the body of his mate, Elita-1, lying in the clearing.

"I'm so sorry. I couldn't save her." Icestar whispered. Optimus nudged Elita-1, hoping she would wake up, or that he would wake up, and that it would just be a nightmare. "She wanted me to tell you that she loved you." The leader said mournfully. After the shock and grief sank in, Icestar helped Optimus carry Elita-1 back to camp, and the Clan served the vigil that was always set for fallen warriors.

_*One Moon Later, Optimus P.O.V.*_

Optimus and Icestar were walking in the forest, as Optimus had asked to speak to her alone, where others wouldn't overhear. Optimus came to a stop in a clearing, and turned to face Icestar, who had a puzzled look on her face.

"What did you need to tell me?" She asked.

"I never got to thank you for bringing me back to life." Optimus said. The she-cat in front of him looked at the ground.

"It was nothing." She said, shuffling her paws.

"No, it wasn't. You had to go through a trial for the Shard." Optimus mewed. Icestar looked at him, a shocked look in her eyes.

"How did you know that?" Icestar asked, helm cocked to one side.

"Wherever I was when I was dead, a voice spoke to me, and I watched your trial while I was there." Optimus answered. Icestar's optics widened and the hunted look returned to her gaze. The guardians and the trial still haunted her thoughts and dreams, making sleep hard to come by.

"You… watched?" Icestar looked embarrassed now.

"Yes. And I wanted to thank you for that, even though you could have risked your clan." The tom said.

"Yeah, well, you're welcome." Icestar shuffled her paws awkwardly before meeting his gaze again. "We should get back to camp." The leader stood up and whirled around, running through the forest.

**And there we go. The second installment of this story. Now, like I said when the first installment ended, I'm taking a break to write for some other stories, but who knows, I might write for this again before the summers up.**

**READ! READ! OoOoOoO!**

**yes! OP knew and watched the trial! *suspenseful music here* And now, what I've been waiting for since the beginning, the Icestar/OP fluff begins! Remember when Cloverspeckle told Optimus that he needed to be there for Icestar, and the Elita-1 told Icestar to take care of Optimus? Anyone connecting the dots here?**


	13. Chapter 13

Leader: Icestar-black and white she cat with ice blue eyes (Kits: Oakleaf, Graykit, Bearkit, Cougarkit, Fawnkit, Lynxkit, Wolfkit)

Deputy: Wildfang- silver she-cat with dark brown mottled stripes, and black underside and points, dark blue eyes (Mate: Tigerstrike) )(Kits: Phoenixfire, Eaglestream, Owlflight, Talonstrike, Falconpaw, Hawkpaw, & Ospreypaw)

Med. Cat: Blackpoppy-black and white she-cat with green eyes (Apprentice: Oakleaf)

Warriors:

Tigerstrike- mottled tabby tom(Mate: Wildfang)(Kits: Phoenixfire, Eaglestream, Owlflight, Talonstrike, Falconpaw, Hawkpaw, & Ospreypaw)

Emberflame- handsome gray tabby tom with ginger striped tail, bright amber eyes (Mate: Mosstalon)

Mosstalon- blue she-cat with black paws and black tipped ears, dark emerald eyes (Mate: Emberflame)

Tigerlily- Mosstalon's sister, pretty golden she-cat with blue eyes

Owlflight- gray, brown, orange, and black mixed she-cat with pear colored eyes

Talonstrike- orange tabby tom with amber eyes

Shadestare- black she-cat with pale yellow eyes (Mate: Stormfall)

Splotchfur- calico she-cat with pale green eyes (Apprentice: Spottedpaw)

Rockpath- gray and brown tabby she-cat with light gray eyes

Stormfall- gray tabby tom with stormy blue eyes (Mate: Shadestare)

Sleetstorm- silver tabby tom with ice blue eyes (Mate: Hollyleaf)

Hollyleaf- black she-cat with green eyes (Mate: Sleetstorm)

Jaguarheart- golden tom with red brown spots and black points, green eyes (App: Falconpaw)

Stormflash- black tom with white tabby markings and dark gray eyes (App: Speckledpaw)

Calicofang- calico she-cat with green eyes

Fallowfawn- light gray speckled she-cat with darker gray stripes and yellow eyes (App: Ospreypaw)

Patchtail- reddish brown and black with amber eyes (App: Hawkpaw)

Leopardsplash- white, black, and silver she-cat with deep blue eyes (App: Streakedpaw)

Apprentices:

Oakleaf- blind brown and white she-cat with green eyes

Falconpaw- dark gray tabby tom with darker stripes and amber eyes (Mentor: Jaguarheart)

Ospreypaw- white she-cat with yellow eyes (Mentor: Fallowfawn)

Hawkpaw- Black tabby she-cat with yellow stripes and green eyes (Mentor: Patchtail)

Spottedpaw- white she-cat with orange and brown spots, green eyes (Mentor: Splotchfur)

Speckledpaw- brown tabby she-cat with black she-cat with orange, yellow, brown, and gray spots, blue eyes (Mentor: Stormflash)

Streakedpaw- black she-cat streaked with grays and browns, gray eyes (Mentor: Leopardsplash)

Queens:

Calicofang- mother to Phoenixfire's kits; Badgerkit & Foxkit

Talonstrike's kits; Morningkit & Dawnkit

Kits:

Morningkit- pale orange she-cat with white and pale gray streaks, pale blue eyes

Dawnkit- yellow she-cat with white and pale gray streaks, pale purple eyes

Badgerkit- black and white tom with dark brown eyes

Foxkit- brown red tom with amber eyes

Elders:

Swampclaw- dark brown she-cat with black tipped tail and markings, dark green eyes, a favorite among the kits for stories

Trueheart- black tom with brown tinting, faded amber eyes (Mate: Swampclaw)

Nightwhisp- Trueheart's younger brother, black tom, amber eyes

Ravenwing- black silky furred tom, pale green eyes

Mountainclimb- calico she-cat, adventurous, not content to sit around and be an elder, green eyes

Flingstreak- long-furred calico she-cat, blue eyes

Sprintspeed- calico she-cat, loved by the kits, great sense of humor, green eyes

_**Autocats**_

Optimus Prime

Ratchet

Ironhide

Jazz

Bumblebee

Chromia

Arcee

Bluestreak

Springer

Sideswipe

Hound

Skidz

Mudflap

_**Fallen Warriors**_

Sunblaze (Battle of the Gorge)

Smokewhisker (War of the Shard)

Mossvine (War of the Shard)

Phoenixfire (War of the Shard)

Eaglestream (War of the Shard)

Tigerlily (Killed by the Fallen)

Thornblaze (Battle of the Gorge)

Leafwhirl (Battle of the Gorge)

Lionsoul (Battle of the Gorge)

Cheetahsprint (Battle of the Gorge)

Lynxblizzard (Battle of the Gorge)

Tigerflower (Battle of the Gorge)

Sparrowflight (Battle of the Gorge)

Twilightwolf (Battle of the Gorge)

Nightglare (Battle of the Gorge)

Brambleshade (Battle of the Gorge)

Flarestorm (Battle of the Gorge)

Honeyleaf (Battle of the Gorge)

Nightfur (Battle of the Gorge)

Moonfase (Battle of the Gorge)

Snowblade (Battle of the Gorge)

Nightflash (Battle of the Gorge)

Flowerpetal (Battle of the Gorge)

Brownear (Battle of the Gorge)

Meadowbreeze (Battle of the Gorge)

Winterthaw (Battle of the Gorge)

Rainwillow (Battle of the Gorge)

Iciclefall (Battle of the Gorge)

Flingstreak (Old age)

Sprintspeed (Old age)


	14. Chapter 14

**I'm back! :D And so ready to continue this! Anyways, before we get started, just to remind you guys, the plot for this installment is 'Dark of the Moon'. And I have put the Allegiances of IceClan so you guys know who's dead and who's alive.**

_*Icestar P.O.V.*_

Icestar watched as a few of IceClan's warriors took Flingstreak's and Sprintspeed's bodies out of the camp. The elders had died of old age, and the Clan was grieving, for many warriors had listened to them as kits. The leader spotted Mountainclimb watching the precession sadly; Flingstreak and Sprintspeed had been the she-cat's best friends. Icestar stood as she watched her Clan wake up. She opened her mouth and yowled to call to Clan to her.

"Today, we grieve the loss of two of our elders. They had reached the point in life to join StarClan, and the deserve their place among the stars." Icestar mewed, the Clan's attention completely on her. "But we now celebrate the time when new warriors are made."

"Hawkpaw, Falconpaw, and Ospreypaw. Come forward." Icestar jumped down from her perch on Ice Rock as the apprentices walked up. Icestar saw Wildfang watching her kits proudly along with Tigerheart beside her. "From this moment on, you will be known and Hawkflight, Falconscreech, and Ospreywing."

"Hawkflight, Falcomscreech, Ospreywing!" The Clan chanted. Icestar moved back as the new warriors were congratulated. Icestar nodded to the new warriors, and padded over to her deputy.

"Are the borders alright?" Icestar mewed. Wildfang nodded, still nearly bursting with pride. Icestar stretched, and padded over to the nursery and stuck her head in. She saw Calicofang watching her kits, eyes filled with pride and grief at the same time.

"Hello, Icestar." The calico she-cat murmured.

"Phoenixfire would have been proud." The leader said, sitting by the queen.

"I can see so much of him in Foxkit, and Badgerkit has his eyes." Calicofang rested her head on her paws.

"Don't let your grief consume you; I know how you feel, it was hard losing Sunblaze. But I know he and Phoenixfire are in StarClan, and Phoenixfire is watching over you." Icestar mewed sympathetically. As the black and white she-cat turned to leave, she heard Calicofang speak.

"Thank you, Icestar." The queen mewed; Icestar's words having comforted her. Icestar nodded, and walked out of nursery, only to bump into Chromia.

"Sorry, Icestar!" The she-cat mewed. Icestar stepped out of her way, and the blue she-cat trotted into the nursery. The leader of IceClan stared after her, confused, before walking over to Wildfang, who was chatting with Shadestare and Hollyleaf.

"Why is Chromia in the nursery?" Icestar asked, sitting down next to Wildfang.

"Are you serious, Icestar?" Shadestare looked up from her mouse.

"What? Tell me!" Icestar said, looking around at her amused faces.

"Her and Ironhide are mates! She's expecting kits! Have you been blind these past few weeks?" Wildfang said, looking at Icestar like the leader had grown a second head. "Have you not been paying attention to the Clan relationships?"

"Springer and Arcee are together, I've seen Sideswipe flirting with Oakleaf-" Shadestare started, but Icestar cut her off.

"Wait, what? I know medicine cats can have mates and kits, but Oakleaf? I thought she wouldn't want anything to distract her from her work?" Icestar mewed, confused.

"You didn't let me finish. Though he flirts with her, she shoots him down everytime." Shadestare finished.

"That sounds more like Oakleaf," Icestar commented, watching her blind daughter trot across the clearing over the elders' den.

"Anyways, I've seen a certain tome eying you, Icestar." Wildfang winked.

"Who?" Icestar asked, eyes wide.

"Great StarClan!" Hollyleaf muttered. "You blinder than Jayfeather!" Wildfang and Icestar looked at the she-cat, puzzled, as Shadestare and Hollyleaf shared a glance.

"Who's that? I don't recognize his name from any of the Clans, but it sounds like a warrior's." Wildfang mused, ears perking.

"You know when I'm came here with the others?" Hollyleaf mewed quietly.

"Yes, I remember that day." Icestar mewed.

"Well, where I come from, there are other Clans…" Hollyleaf meowed, ears flat. Both Icestar's and Wildfang's eyes widened, and they looked at each other with bewildered faces.

"W-what? There are more Clans?" Icestar sputtered.

"Yes. There were five Clans: ThunderClan, where I was born; ShadowClan, WindClan, RiverClan, and SkyClan." The green-eyed she-cat mewed. "There was also a Clan started by a loner, AuroraClan. And then there was the Tribe that lived in the mountains, the Tribe of Rushing Water."

"But, if Shadestare is your sister, how did she come from a farm?" Wildfang asked.

"Well, you see, when I was born with my brothers, our mother who raised us was not our blood mother. Our mother was the Clan medicine cat, and our father was a tom from WindClan." Hollyleaf said.

"But medicine cats can have kits…" Icestar said, eyes slightly narrowed.

"Not where I come from. It's forbidden. My two brothers, Lionblaze and Jayfeather, are still in ThunderClan. Jayfeather is the medicine cat there, and he's blind."

"What made you leave?" Icestar mewed gently. Hollyleaf took a shaky breath before continuing on.

"One time, a forest fire started out where ThunderClan lived. As my brothers and I were trying to get out, a tree fell across the entrance of the camp. Our adoptive mother, who we still believed birthed us, showed us an unknown way out of camp. When we got out, the flames were everywhere. Squirrelflight, that was her name, she got out before us. Suddenly, one of the warriors, Ashfur, came to help us out of the flames, or so we thought we. Instead, he blocked the only way out, and told Squirrelflight that since his plan to kill the leader, her father, he would hurt her another way, by killing us, her kits." Hollyleaf said, eyes glazed as though reliving memories.

"Why would he try to kill the leader and you!?" Wildfang hissed, outraged.

"Before we were born, Ashfur was in love with Squirrelflight, but she left him for Brambleclaw, the deputy of ThunderClan, who she had loved before. From that point on, he had been blinded by jealousy. But when Squirrelflight said she didn't care what happened to us, she told Ashfur that we were not her kits."

The other three she-cats listened in eerie silence.

"Then, Ashfur was going to head to the Gathering, and he wanted to tell the other Clans the secret Squirrelflight had kept. But… I had to stop him. He… he wouldn't listen to reason!" Hollyleaf's voice became panicked. "He was sitting at the WindClan border, and- and he was alone, and I wasn't thinking straight, and…." Hollyleaf took a few deep breaths, eyes wide in fear.

"I… I killed him." Hollyleaf said, her whole body trembling. Icestar and Wildfang sat, eyes wide in horror and jaws slack. Icestar was the first to gain her composure, eyes still wide. "Are… are you going to kick me out now?" Hollyleaf squeaked.

"No. What's done is done. The past is in the past." Icestar stood up and licked Hollyleaf's ears, comforting the black she-cat.

"Thank you so much, Icestar!" Hollyleaf said, relieved.

"But, that doesn't explain why Shadestare was at the farm." Wildfang said.

"You see, when we were born, Hollyleaf and our brothers stayed at ThunderClan. I was given to a stray cat that just had kittens, and then I was given away to another farm once I was weaned and old enough, where I stayed in a Twoleg den, along with an older, kind tom cat, and then, Splotchfur, who was known as Callie then, was given to the Twolegs, and then the old tom cat died. After a while, Rockpath was given to the Twolegs." Shadestare answered.

"Alright. Hollyleaf, thank you for sharing this with me." Icestar mewed. Hollyleaf nodded, and laid her head on her paws. "Anyways," Icestar meowed, turning to Wildfang. "You never told me which tom had his eyes on me." She said. Wildfang smirked.

"Why should I tell you?"

"Because I'm your leader." Icestar growled playfully, standing up.

"And what's that supposed to mean?" Wildfang growled back, her eyes sparking with laughter.

"It mean… this!" Icestar launched herself and her deputy, both she-cats rolling around and hitting each other playfully. Ignoring the stares from the other Clan cats, Icestar and Wildfang continued to play-fight, gently biting each other and cuffing each other over the head. Finally, Icestar pinned Wildfang down, chewing gently on her ears.

"Lemme go!" Wildfang struggled to get up.

"Not until you tell me!" Icestar mewed, smirking.

"Fine!" Wildfang said, exasperated. "But I have to tell you in secret. Come closer." Icestar leaned closer to her friend as Wildfang whispered in her ear. "It's Optimus." In Icestar's state of shock, Wildfang jumped up and ran off with glee. Icestar chased after her deputy, who had placed herself behind Shadestare, crouching behind the amber-eyed she-cat.

"Are you serious?" Icestar asked. Wildfang rolled her eyes. "He had a mate!"

"So did you!" Wildfang rolled onto her back, looking up at Icestar. Wildfang sighed before getting to her paws. "Look, I know you loved Sunblaze, but he would want you to move on and be happy."

"I am happy!" Icestar snapped.

"Sure… whatever you say, Icestar. Well, whatever you say, because I will be playing matchmaker for you." Wildfang laughed and walked bounded away.

"I am perfectly happy." Icestar snorted, and walked into her den.

_*Optimus P.O.V.*_

Optimus started out of his sleep as he felt a paw jab his side. He looked up to see Wildfang.

"Patrol. You can go with Graypaw and Icestar." The deputy said before jogging over to Icestar's den. Optimus trotted over to the apprentices den, where he found Graypaw wrestling with his brother Bearpaw. Bearpaw was starting to win when Optimus interrupted.

"Graypaw. Patrol." He called. The gray apprentice immediately shoved his brother off and trotted over to his mentor. Optimus walked over to the camp entrance, where Icestar was waiting, glaring at her deputy, while Wildfang was smirking back at her.

"Let's go." Icestar said, walking out of the camp at a brisk pace. Graypaw followed his mother, trying to match his pace with hers.

"Alright, Graypaw. What can you smell?" Optimus asked. Graypaw scented the air, and his eyes widened.

"Rogue cats!" The tom hissed. Icestar and Optimus did the same, and both found the apprentice was right.

"There's a lot of them, from what I can tell. Stay behind me." Icestar growled, stalking forward. She took them to the northern border of IceClan territory, and she hid in the ferns. She saw the rogues, and growled lowly. Icestar was about to jump out and confront them when Optimus stopped her.

"Wait! I know these cats. They're against the Decepticats like I and the others are." The tom mewed. Icestar glanced at him out of the corner of her optic.

"Very well. We might as well let them know they're not alone." Icestar nodded. Optimus padded out of the bushes first, gaining the attention of the Autocats.

"Optimus!?" A black and white tom jumped forward.

"Prowl! Thank StarClan you and the others are all right." Optimus said, relieved. His audio receptors twitched, and he saw Icestar walked forward, Graypaw behind her.

"I believe you all are friends of Optimus?" Icestar mewed, her optics looking over the group of cats.

"And who are you?" A golden tom named Sunstreaker snarled. Prowl cuffed the tom, narrowing his optics.

"I am Icestar. Right now you are in my Clan's territory. And be glad we are not FrostClan, or you would be attacked and chased out." Icestar drew herself up to her full height.

"The others are here. Ironhide, Ratchet, Jazz, Bumblebee, and the others." Optimus stated. He glanced at Icestar, who was still watching the group of cats.

"You all are welcome to join the Clan, as the others have." The IceClan leader suggested. Prowl nodded, showing that they would also join. "Alright, we will go back to camp now." Icestar turned around and stalked back the way they came. Optimus motioned the others to follow with his tail, and he started walking, Graypaw beside him. He looked to his right as he saw Prowl catch up with him.

"Are you sure about this? Weren't you our leader?" The black and white tom asked.

"We decided joining a Clan would be best; better protection in numbers, correct?" Optimus stated. "Graypaw, go ahead with Icestar." Optimus told his apprentice. The gray tom nodded, and ran ahead, only looking back once at the group of cats, before turning around to go after his mother.

"Who was that?" Prowl asked, looking after the gray tom.

"My apprentice." Optimus said proudly, glad of Graypaw' skills as a warrior-trainee.

"As future Prime?"

"No, as a future warrior. Icestar chose me to be his mentor."

"This Clan life will be confusing." Prowl shook his head.

"It is fairly easy once you get used to it." Soon, they arrived back to camp, and Optimus stopped as they exited the camp entrance, the Clan cats watching with wide eyes at the group of newcomers. Icestar yowled, and everyone's attention was brought to her.

"We have found a group of loners that are willing to join IceClan. They will be treated with respect and kindness, as they will be our clanmates." Icestar said, her voice echoing throughout the clearing. As Icestar jumped down from her perch, the Clan meeting dispersed, and Optimus led Prowl over to the other Autocats. The other Autocats already there greeted their old friends, sharing words and being happy that they had arrived.

The Autocats that had arrived were Prowl, a black and white tom; Sunstreaker, a golden tom and Sideswipe's brother; Mirage, or Dino, a red tom with black markings on his helm; Moonracer, a pale green she-cat, Flare-Up, and orange and red she-cat; Que, a gray tom with blue markings his helm, shaggy pelt; Leadfoot, a red tom with a white circle on his chest; Topspin, a blue tom with white paws; Roadbuster, a green tom; Brawl, a tan tom cat; SIlverbolt, a long-furred silver tabby; Slingshot, a red brown tom with darker paws; Firelight, a light blue tom; Air Raid, a green tom; and Skydive, a nearly black tom cat.

"So… this leader, Icestar, is it? Is she usually this cold to loners?" Prowl asked.

"No, she is very kind. But we don't know what's wrong with her." Optimus said, shaking his helm.

"You know very well why she's cranky." Ratchet sniffed as he walked up. The newcomers looked at him curiously, audio receptors perked.

"Why? What happened to her?" Moonracer asked.

"I say you tell them, Optimus." Ratchet said, sitting down by Prowl.

"Fine then." Optimus said. He then went on to tell the story of when he and the others had first arrived, and what had happened up until the battle when Icestar revived him, leaving out the part of him dying. As usual, the new Autocats were shocked as he ended his story, their optics wide. Optimus turned around as Wildfang trotted up to the new cats.

"Alright, you new ones need to know the borders and the territory, so you all can find a warrior and ask them to show you around tomorrow. You'll be staying in that bush over there. It's been extended to fit more cats." The deputy said, dipping her head to the others. Optimus bid the others a good night, for they decided to stay and chat a while, and he entered the den and curled up in his nest to sleep.


	15. Chapter 15

_*Optimus P.O.V.*_

Optimus woke as he felt a paw jabbing his side. He stood up and stretched, and looked around for whoever had woke him up. There was no one there. In fact, he was in a completely different place. He was where he had first met Cloverspeckle. As the tome waited to meet one of the StarClan ancestors, his audio receptors perked as another tom stepped into the clearing.

"Sunblaze?" Optimus asked, shocked. The golden and white tabby nodded, his amber eyes welcoming.

"It is I. I assume you are fitting into Clan life well?" Sunblaze asked. Optimus nodded to the StarClan tom. "Good. You'll need to, for what's coming soon."

"What? What's coming soon?" Optimus asked, worried. Sunblaze sighed.

"I cannot tell you. Not even StarClan knows. But we only know that dark times are coming to the forest." Sunblaze mewed. As he opened his mouth to speak again, the sky flashed with lightning, and thunder cascaded through the air. The dark sky lightened again before Optimus spoke.

"What… what's happening?" Optimus asked Sunblaze, optics wide with fear.

"The dark times are coming soon. You must warn Icestar." Sunblaze said, an edge of sadness coming into his voice. The tabby turned and started to walk away, before he turned around one last time. "I can no longer stand by her side, but you can. You need to help her."

"Cloverspeckle already told me that, but what did she mean?"

"As much as she denies it, she does have feelings for you. More than just friendship." The came as news to Optimus.

"But, you are her mate." Optimus said, narrowing his optics.

"I can wait for her in StarClan, but that's all I can do. And your mate will not come back to life, either." Sunblaze mewed. Optimus felt as if his heart had been clawed. He had tried to forget about Elita-1's death, but the StarClan tom had brought it back up.

"I know it hurts, but it's the truth." A new voice joined them. Both toms looked up as Icestar's late brother, Brambleshade, padded into the clearing. Brambleshade nodded to Sunblaze, before turning to the other tom in the clearing. "There is someone you need to speak to before this dream is done." Optimus cocked his helm to the side, confused, and looked past the dark tabby into the bushes behind him. The she-cat Optimus thought he would never see again raced up to him, purring.

"Elita! Youre'… you're in StarClan?"

"It's where I woke up after I died." Optimus optics fell, and he looked slightly away. "I know you love Icestar. And it's okay. You don't need to feel like you're betraying me." Elita-1 said, before sadly looking away. "For there was one thing I was that Icestar was not. I was barren." The she-cat said. Optimus stared in horror at his former mate. There was nothing worse for a she-cat to be barren. He saw, out of the corner of his optics, Brambleshade and Sunblaze shared horrified looks. "I wish I could have told her sooner."

"I miss you." Optimus said quietly.

"I know. But soon, StarClan won't be able to see the forest. A darkness is coming, and it's up to you and the Clans to stop it." Elita said. The forest suddenly started to dim, and the StarClan cats faded.

"Wait!" Optimus cried, before the forest faded away completely.

_*Icestar P.O.V.*_

Icestar stretched outside her den, the morning growing chilly. The Gathering that night would be cold. As she looked around the camp, fog had rolled in during the night, and the scent of rain was in the air. Icestar shook herself and watched as Wildfang walked up.

"Did you get the patrols decided yesterday?" Icestar asked, getting a nod in response from her deputy.

"Have you decided on who you're taking to the Gathering?"

"Hawkflight, Falconscreech, Ospreywing, Emberflame, Mosstalon, Bearpaw, Graypaw, Linxpaw, Jazz, Ratchet, and Optimus, along with Oakleaf, as Blackpoppy will be staying here." Icestar mewed.

"I thought you didn't like him."

"Oh, would you shut your trap? He's my friend." Icestar snapped. Wildfang shrugged, and then padded back into the warriors' den. Icestar sat and looked out into the fog. Did she really love Optimus? She loved Sunblaze, she knew that. She also knew that Sunblaze would want her to be happy. Yet she did feel safe around the red and blue tom… Icestar shook herself out of her thoughts as another cat came out of their den. She saw the tom that was Optimus, and she watched him for a bit. His fur was ruffled, which showed he had a rough time sleeping. Icestar took a deep breath, and walked up to him.

"Erm, do you want to go on patrol with me?" Icestar asked nervously. The tom jumped at her voice, and then nodded. Icestar led the way out of camp, and heard Optimus following behind her. There was silence between them for a while, and Icestar lead the way towards the RainClan border. The black and white leader sat down at the edge of the forest, and Optimus sat beside her.

"Something's troubling you?" Icestar asked, looking at the tom out of the corner of her eyes. Optimus jumped.

"How did you know?"

"You weren't exactly hiding it."

He sighed. "I had a rough time sleeping." There was more silence before Icestar spoke again.

"It's nice to have some peace for a while." More silence from her companion. "Well, we should get back to camp; you're going to the Gathering tonight, and you'll need your sleep." Still no response. Icestar narrowed her eyes. "What is your problem today?" She asked. Optimus jerked his head around and glared at her.

"What's my problem? What's your problem? I didn't ask to go on patrol; I just came with because you're the leader. I don't even know why I and the others stuck around after the Battle of the Gorge. If it weren't for you, I wouldn't have died, and neither would have Elita-1!" Optimus snarled. Icestar saw that he immediately regretted his words, but it was too late. Icestar looked at him with hurt eyes, which then narrowed coldly.

"Fine then." Was all the leader said. Icestar turned on her heels and sprinted off into the forest, ignoring Optimus calling after her. Icestar ran on, and nearly bumped into Wildfang outside of camp.

"What's wrong?" Wildfang asked, eyes wide and concerned.

"I will not be at the Gathering tonight. I'm not feeling my best." Icestar said. Wildfang opened her mouth to say something else, but Icestar pushed past her and ran through the forest, heading to the northern part of the border, and outside of the Clan grounds. She slowed down by the river, and looked at it as the water rolled by. The she-cat went and curled up underneath a rocky overhang, and waited there, not planning on going back to camp anytime soon.


	16. Chapter 16

**I bet you guys hate me for that last chapter ending… and I don't care! :D**

_*Optimus P.O.V.*_

Optimus felt immensely guilt for the way he accused Icestar. The she-cat hadn't even shown up to take the Clan to the Gathering, and Wildfang took her place at the head of the patrol. He strayed at the end of the patrol, tail slightly dragging in the dust. He looked up as Jazz slowed down next to him.

"What's eatin' ya?" The gray tom asked.

"Nothing." Optimus murmured.

"Yeah, right. Tell meh." Jazz said, audio receptors twitching.

"Erm… Icestar and I got in a fight." The bigger tom muttered, staring ahead.

"I knew it!" Jazz said. "You, mah friend, definitely need mah help."

"In what?"

"Talkin' to she-cats."

"What? I am perfectly capable on my own!" Optimus stuttered.

"Sure, sure. Just kept tellin' yaself that." Jazz padded ahead. Optimus thought on his friend's words, and, sooner than he expected, they had arrived at the Gathering place. The IceClan cats mixed with the other Clans, talking and greeting each other. Optimus stuck next to Ratchet and Jazz, and the three toms sat next to a group of warriors made up of RainClan, GlacierClan, and HailClan. It included Snowpelt, a white tom, Frostpelt, a gray tom, and Whitestorm of GlacierClan; Thunderfoot, Stormbreeze, and Sunsprint from RainClan; and Mudlegs, Thrushpelt, and Mossdrop from HailClan. The other catas looked up as the three toms joined them.

"Hey, Jazz! What's up?" Whitestorm called.

"Not much. It's been quite around the borders." Jazz answered back, shrugging.

"Hey, where's Icestar?" Mudlegs asked.

"She… couldn't make it tonight." Optimus said quickly.

"What happened to her?" Stormbreeze asked. Optimus shrugged. All cats looked up as the leaders called the meeting together.

"Before we start, I would like to ask a question. Wildfang, what's happened to Icestar?" Rainstar asked from her place beside the deputy.

"Icestar wasn't feeling her best today, so it was in her best interest that she stay at camp." Wildfang said curtly, not giving the other Clans a chance to think IceClan was weak. The deputy searching the crowd, and slightly glared at Optimus, who shrank back a bit.

"Alright, then let's start." Eaglestar of HailClan started, and then Midnightstar of FrostClan followed. Sleekstar of SnowClan, followed by Rainstar of RainClan, Nightstar of SleetClan, Badgerstar of BlizzardClan, Wolfstar of GlacierClan, Wildfang, and then Phoenixstar of MistClan. The Gathering ended quickly, and the IceClan patrol hurried back to camp. Optimus looked around for Icestar, and found no sign of her. He felt like he was being watched, and turned around to see Wildfang glare at him, before looking away quickly and starting a conversation with Tigerstrike. The tom hurried to his nest, ignoring the Clan cats, and curled up in his nest, screwing his eyes shut.

_*Icestar P.O.V.*_

Icestar dabbed her paw in the river, tail tip twitching. She looked at the reflection the stars cast against the water, and wondered how the Gathering had gone. Icestar stood up and stretched, looking around. She trotted upstream, watching the undergrowth warily, making sure there was no danger around. She sighed, but jumped when she heard the bushes rustling. Icestar whirled around, fir bristling and claws out, eyes narrowed. She sighed in relief as she recognized the cat that walked out of the bushes.

"Oh, Jazz. You scared me." Icestar mewed, turning around and sitting by the river again.

"What are ya doin' out here alone?" The small tom asked. Icestar shrugged.

"Just taking a walk."

"Sure. Just ta let ya know, I know what happen'd between you and Optimus." Icestar stiffened slightly before she relaxed.

"It's nothing big." The she-cat muttered.

"Doesn't seem that way ta meh."

"What do you want anyways?" Icestar growled.

"Just wanted ya ta know, Optimus is sorry." Jazz explained.

"Please. I'd believe him if he would just tell me himself." Icestar stood up at started to walk away.

"I'll tell 'im that. He'll tell ya, then." Icestar snorted at the gray cat's words as Jazz left. Icestar took another route to camp, and snuck in through the back and headed into her den and curled up in her nest.

_***Time Skip, Optimus P.O.V.***_

The red and blue tom stretched as he woke up, and walked out of the den. Seeing his apprentice, Graypaw, he walked over to the gray 'paw.

"Up for a patrol?" Optimus asked.

"Sure! Can Bearpaw go, too?" Graypaw asked.

"It's alright with me." Optimus turned to see Bearpaw's mentor, Stormfall, walk up. "Do you mind if Shadestare joins us as well?"

"It's fine with me." Optimus answered. Stormfall padded off and got Bearpaw, and then Shadestare trotted up and greeted Optimus, and then touched noses with Stormfall. Optimus noticed, as the patrol started, that Stormfall and Shadestare stayed close to each other it progressed. _Everyone seems to have a mate these days. _Optimus thought. It wasn't long before Optimus was lost in thought, and he was jerked out of them when his paw suddenly fell through the air. Optimus shook his head as he looked up through the hole in the ground, shaking the dirt out of his fur.

"Optimus!" Stormfall called.

"I'm okay!" The red and blue tom called back. He looked around, before calling back again. "There seems to be a cave complex here! I'm going to check it out." He said.

"Be careful!" Graypaw called worriedly. Optimus turned around and stalked into the darkness, audio receptors perked.

_*Icestar P.O.V.*_

Icestar woke up in her nest and stretched. As she stretched, she realized that a cold draft was coming and circulating through the den. The current was coming from the back of the den and, curious, Icestar walked to the back of the den. As she neared the back wall, the draft grew stronger, and Icestar noticed a small hole in the wall. The she-cat dug her claws into the wall, and clumps of dirt fell as she dug through the wall. Soon, the whole back wall collapsed. Icestar had never known that there was a tunnel connected to her den! She walked forward cautiously, claws extended. Icestar's eyes strained to see through the darkness, but to no avail.

After a while, the darkness and close proximity started to make Icestar. She jumped at the sound of her claws clacking against the stone and, suddenly, she couldn't take it anymore. Icestar broke into a sprint, eyes wide, fear rolling off her in waves. She thundered through the tunnels, desperately looking for a way out. As Icestar turned a corner, she slammed into another living thing. The air whooshed out of Icestar's lungs, and she fell onto the thing she slammed into.

"Icestar!?" Came a muffled mew. "What are you doing here? And would you please kindly get off me?" The voice continued. Icestar's eyes widened as she climbed off of Optimus, ears burning in embarrassment.

"Sorry." She muttered, then shook herself. "I felt a draft in my den and it led me into these tunnels."

"Why were you running?" The tom asked.

"I'm not very comfortable in confined places." Icestar shuffled her paws. She could swear Optimus was trying to muffle his amusement. "Do you know a way out of here?" She grumbled.

"There's the way I came through." He shrugged, and then turned around and started walking in the other direction. Icestar followed, and eventually Icestar pushed past Optimus as she saw the light shining through the tunnel. Her fast walked turned into a run, and she leapt up onto the lip of the hole, startling the patrol of cats standing there.

"Icestar!?" Icestar turned to see Stormfall, his eyes wide. "What were you doing down there?" The gray tom asked.

"I felt a draft in my den and it led me through those tunnels, where I found Optimus." Icestar explained. "We'll have to get this patched up so no enemy uses it for a way to attack the camp."

"I agree with that. We'll have to send out a patrol to do that." Shadestare nodded. Icestar turned as Optimus scrambled up next to her.

"Right. We should get back to camp now." Icestar said, and the patrol headed back to camp. Graypaw and Bearpaw chatted along, but as to what they were talking about, Icestar paid no attention. The leader was lost in her own thoughts. Most were about the danger the tunnel system was to the Clan. If another Clan were to find out… Icestar shook her head. She had to concentrate on the present, and not what could happen. Icestar was jolted out of her thoughts as the bushes rustled and another cat sprinted out into the clearing.

"Icestar! Thank StarClan, another patrol!" Rockpath panted. "We need your help! We were ambushed by a SnowClan patrol!"

"Come on! Let's go!" Icestar commanded, letting Rockpath lead the way, the rest of the patrol following. Rockpath led them to the border, where the rest of her patrol and a SnowClan patrol were fighting. The current leader of SnowClan, Swiftstar, was also part of the patrol.

"Swiftstar!" Icestar yowled. "Stop this before one of our warriors fall into the gorge!" Icestar was infuriated by the tom's foolishness.

"This is the last time I will allow IceClan cats to come into our territory!" The other howled back. Icestar growled and launched herself across the narrowest part of the gorge, and bowled the leader to the ground. The tom kicked her back, and sent her sprawling across the ground. Breakingcliff, a sandy brown tom from SnowClan, sprinted at her as she got to her feet. Icestar met the tom head on, and both clashed, clawing at each other's faces and belly, hoping to get the upper hand. Time slowed down for Icestar as Breakingcliff slashed at her face, aiming for her throat. The weight disappeared, and Icestar looked up to see Optimus swat the tom away. The red and blue tom was dangerously close the edge of the gorge, and Icestar shot to her paws, snarling at Breakingcliff.

"Is that the best you've got?" Optimus snarled, goading the SnowClan tom on. Breakingcliff growled and lept at Optimus. To Icestar's horror, both toms flew over the edge of the gorge.

"Breakingcliff!" Rainflash darted over to the edge of the gorge. Two paws grabbed the edge of the gorge, and Icestar darted over to see Rainflash helping Breakingcliff off.

"_No!" _Icestar howled as she saw Optimus' paws disappearing under the water.


	17. Chapter 17

**Hm, last chapter was another cliff-hanger… :D I'll try not to put a cliff-hanger on this chapter, guys.**

_*Icestar P.O.V.*_

"_No!" _Icestar howled.

"SnowClan, retreat!" Swiftstar called.

"Go back to camp and prepare the medicine cats!" Icestar snapped at Shadestare.

"Icestar… no one could survive that fall…" Stormfall murmured quietly.

"That's not been proven! Go back to camp and get Ironhide and Tigerstrike. I'll find Optimus!" Icestar snarled, turning on her paws and sprinting along the edge of the gorge before her warriors could interject. As the gorge sloped down to the river, Icestar jumped when it was safe enough and paddled through the rapids as best as she could. The river swept her to a rock, which she climbed up and looked around. She whirled around desperately trying to find sight of her friend, eyes wide with fear. She couldn't lose another tom. She just _couldn't. _Out of the corner of her eyes, she caught sight of a cat's body in the river. Recognizing the blue and red fur, Icestar launched herself off the rock and into the river, her fear helping her to swim faster. She paddled faster, gritting her teeth against the cold water. Soon, the current helped push her over to Optimus. She grabbed the tom's scruff, and immediately the weight of the other cat started to make Icestar sink. Icestar struggled, but managed to make her way over to the bank. She dragged Optimus up onto dry ground and let go of his scruff, trembling from the effort.

"Icestar!" Icestar looked up as she heard the gruff voice of Ironhide.

"Get him to medicine cats." The she-cat commanded. The dark gray-black tom nodded, before he and Tigerstrike helped get Optimus onto Ironhide's shoulders. Graypaw and Bearpaw rushed down the back, small stones and rocks following in their wake.

"Mother!" Bearpaw wailed, pressing himself against Icestar's side.

"I'm alright, little ones." The she-cat purred weakly, despite the ordeal she had just been through.

"Come on, we have to get you back to camp!" Graypaw pressed, nudging Icestar along. With the help of her sons, Icestar slightly limped back to camp. Both apprentices were patient, helping her when she was tired. Finally, all three made it back to camp. As soon as Icestar entered the camp, Blackpoppy rushed at her.

"Are you completely mousebrained!?" The black and white she-cat hissed, sniffing Icestar over. "Why didn't you get here earlier? You're going to catch your death!" The senior medicine cat nudged Icestar long to the medicine cats' den, grumbling all the way. As Icestar was shoved into a nest, the leader saw Optimus in the nest across from the den.

"Is he going to make it?" Icestar asked quietly, worried.

"I don't know." Blackpoppy sighed quietly. "He was in the water longer than you, and he fell from the top of the gorge. You jumped a shorter distance." Icestar turned away and screwed her eyes shut, her fears starting to come true. "Lay down and rest now. You'll be fine by tomorrow."

_***In StarClan***_

"We can't see the Clans anymore!" Goldendapple wailed. Nightglare pressed close to his sister, trying to comfort her.

"It's up to Icestar and the other leaders to help them now." Coldstar, the leader before Icestar, mewed gravely.

"But we can't even send them a sign!?" Frostglacier, a cat from IceClan, hissed.

"I'm afraid we can't." Cloverspeckle leaned against the pale colored tom.

"Do even we know what's coming?" Sunblaze mewed quietly.

"No. Not even StarClan does." Brambleshade mewed solemnly.

"The Clans are on their own…" Coldstar said quietly, fear threatening to break through his tough demeanor.

"StarClan help them…" Nightglare said out of habit.

"We can't." Cloverspeckle meowed, ears flattened in disbelief.

_***Back With Icestar***_

Icestar woke up in the night, and found she couldn't sleep anymore. She glanced over at the nest that held Optimus, only to see he hadn't moved. Icestar shook her head, and walked out of the medicine cats' den. She padded into the center of the camp and sat, looking at the stars.

"StarClan, help us. I need your guidance." Icestar pleaded quietly. She sat there for a while, and watched as dark clouds began to cover the sky.

"…Icestar?" A voice behind her sounded. Icestar whirled around to find herself face to face with Optimus.

"You're okay?" She gasped, relief immediately filling her, but then the relief faded, and her eyes narrowed. "Do you know how worried I was about you!?" She hissed quietly. The clouds above finally let go the rain they had been holding, and it started to patter into the c amp.

"I know-" The tom began, but Icestar interrupted him.

"No, you don't know!" Icestar snarled, her voice breaking in desperation. "If you had known you wouldn't have goaded Breakingcliff on! You would have moved away the gorge and fought him somewhere else." Icestar shook herself, her eyes screwed shut. "I can't lose another tom I love." Icestar whispered, and her voice cracked. The rain had started to pour a little harder now.

"Icestar…" Optimus began, but Icestar interrupted him again, fury filling her eyes.

"No! Leave me alone!" Icestar snarled, shoving her way past the tom and sprinted out of the camp. The rain had turned into a torrential downpour, soaking the she-cat within minutes. Icestar finally found a good shelter under the roots of an oak tree, and she buried her face in her paws, sobbing.

_*Optimus P.O.V.*_

He knew Icestar had the right to be angry. No, she had the right to hate him. He stood there the pouring rain for a while, before he jumped at another cat's pawsteps. Optimus turned around, expecting to see Blackpoppy about to give him a lecture, but instead saw Ironhide.

"You should get out of the rain." The dark tom said, his pelt already beginning to soak through. "But first you should find Icestar." Optimus sat there for a bit, before he nodded to his old friend, and ran out into the forest, determined the find the black and white she-cat. As he ran through the rain, he thought about what Icestar had said. _"I can't lose another tom I love." _Did this mean the leader loved him? Optimus shook his head; he would contemplate on that later, after he found Icestar and made sure she was okay. He followed her fading scent trail through the rain, and the trail stopped at the roots of an oak tree. Optimus thought he had lost the she-cat when he faintly heard breathing. He tipped his helm to the side, listening carefully. He pinpointed the sound coming from underneath the roots, and he ducked and looked into the darkness. He made out the shape of Icestar's sodden body, which was shivering in the cold. The tom walked quietly into the darkness, and sat near Icestar. The she-cat was breathing deeply, showing she was asleep. Optimus laid down next to her, his back to hers, and fell asleep.

***Time Skip***

Optimus woke to the sound of rain falling from the tree leaves. He lifted his helm and yawned, and then set it back down, but jerked as he felt something underneath his chin. He opened his eyes to find Icestar's helm laid on his paws, as his helm had been draped over her neck. His audio receptors burned with embarrassment. His sudden movement woke Icestar up. The she-cat yawned and opened her eyes, and jumped to her paws when she found herself in the awkward position she had woken up in. Icestar looked at her paws.

"Sorry." She muttered. Optimus just shrugged. Icestar padded out from beneath the tree first, and started to walk back to camp.

"What did you mean yesterday by 'you couldn't lose another tom you loved'?" Optimus asked casually. He watched the she-cat closely, and noticed it when she tensed up.

"Oh, that…" She said. "Me and my big mouth…" Icestar muttered. The white and black she-cat turned around and took a breath. "I erm… I meant what I said." Icestar said nervously, staring at her paws. The tom touched his nose to her audio receptor, startling the she-cat. The she-cat purred, before nuzzling him, and both cats made their way back to camp, their relationship finally healed.

_**-*Two Moons Later*- *Icestar P.O.V.***_

Icestar rolled her eyes as she watched Ironhide pace restlessly around the camp. Wildfang lay beside her.

"Someone take him out of camp to relax before he wears a trail in the ground." The deputy grumbled.

"Hey, he has the right to be worried. His mate is going through labor now. You know Tigerstrike was worried when you had your first kits." Icestar laid her head on her paws. She watched Wildfang roll onto her back.

"True. But still, he might distract Blackpoppy by trying to get in the nursery." She argued.

"You know Blackpoppy will literally kick him out if he did that, right?" Icestar mewed, eyes half-closed. She heard Wildfang snicker. After a few moments, Icestar stood up and stretched. She trotted over to the warriors' den and poked her head in, finding Stormfall and Tigerstrike talking with each other.

"Oh, hello, Icestar." Tigerstrike mewed, dipping his head to the leader.

"Can you two do me a favor? Ironhide's been pacing all over the place and he needs something to do to relax. Can you to take him on a patrol or something?" The black and white she-cat asked.

"Of course." Stormfall mewed.

"Thank you." Icestar dipped her head to the warriors and walked back over to Wildfang. Icestar watched the two toms talk to Ironhide, and then all three toms left the camp.

"'Bout time." Wildfang muttered. Icestar nudged her friend. Icestar's ears perked and she looked up as she heard a faint sound on the wind. The wolves of the mountains. She shuddered. They had been active this season. They usually didn't stray into Clan ground, but they were close enough that you could hear them.

"Did you hear that?" Icestar asked quietly as Wildfang stood up.

"Yes," The she-cat growled. "We'll have to be especially careful on the northern border this season." The deputy nodded to the IceClan leader, and then padded off to her kit, Falconscreech, who was picking through the fresh-kill pile. Icestar jumped as she found Blackpoppy next to her.

"Go and find Ironhide would you? I think he would like to meet his daughter." The medicine cat mewed, stretching. Icestar nodded to Blackpoppy, before standing up herself and looking around the camp. Spotting Optimus, she trotted over to the tom, who was talking with Prowl.

"Optimus, come and help me find Ironhide so he can meet his kit." Icestar mewed. Optimus nodded to Prowl, and then the blue and red tom followed Icestar out of the camp.

"Any idea where he'll be?" Optimus asked.

"No. All I know is Stormfall and Tigerstrike are with him." Icestar explained, picking up the pace and tasting the air. Catching the scent of Tigerstrike, Icestar followed the trail through the forest. The trail led the two cats through the forest, up to the northern border. Icestar trotted through the bushes to see the three toms chatting together.

"Ironhide, Blackpoppy says you can-" Icestar never got to finish her sentence as the gray tom sprinted past her in the direction of camp.

"Well, he seems excited, doesn't he?" Tigerstrike joked.

"Maybe just a little bit." Stormfall answered.

"Anyways, you should be careful around the northern border, I could hear the wolves howling." Icestar warned. The other two toms shuddered, and then Stormfall nodded to the she-cat.

"Of course, Icestar." The gray tom nodded, before he and Tigerstrike padded away into the forest. Icestar turned around to follow them, but saw Optimus sniffing the air out of the corner of her eye.

"What do you smell?" She asked.

"I'm not sure exactly… another cat, but it seems familiar…" The tom stated. Icestar followed the blue and red tom as he followed the scent trail, wondering what they would find. After a while, Optimus stopped, and growled lowly. Icestar looked over his shoulder, spotting what he was growling at. Icestar growled herself, and was surprised when Optimus gasped. The tom walked through the bushes warily, and Icestar narrowed her eyes.

"Sentinel Prime?" She heard Optimus gasp.


	18. Chapter 18

**Honestly didn't expect last chapter to be so long. Just started writing… and writing… and writing… and then realized how much I had typed. :D**

_*Icestar P.O.V.*_

"Optimus, who is this?" Icestar asked, eyeing the new tom warily. The blue and red tom turned around.

"This was my old mentor, Sentinel Prime." The tom said eagerly, before turning around the tom named Sentinel Prime. The tom was red with gray points, with scraggly bur finely kept fur. "Sentinel, what are you doing here?"

"Word spread around that the rest of Autocats had regrouped. Are these rumors true?" Sentinel Prime asked.

"They are true. We are currently taking shelter with the cats that own this territory, IceClan. This is the leader of the Clan, Icestar." Optimus explained. Icestar stood at Optimus's side and nodded to the tom, but Sentinel barely tipped his head. Optimus paid no notice to it.

"And… how are these 'Clans' run?" Sentinel Prime asked. Icestar snorted.

"There are nine Clans in all. IceClan, BlizzardClan, GlacierClan, MistClan, FrostClan, RainClan, HailClan, SnowClan, and SleetClan. Each one is led by a leader and each leader is then helped by their second command, the deputy." Icestar mewed, eyes cold.

"We would be honored if you would join IceClan with the rest of us." Optimus said. Icestar stared at him out of the corner of her eyes, shocked he would make a decision without asking her or Wildfang.

"Fine. I will see if this Clan lives up to the rumors surrounding it." Sentinel Prime meowed. Icestar bared her teeth in a silent snarl, then whirled around.

"You can show him around the territory, Optimus." Icestar growled, before turning around and whisking through the undergrowth, neck fur bristling. How _dare _Optimus make a decision without asking her or one of the senior warriors. Acting as if he was leader of her Clan. She stalked back into camp, and leapt onto the Ice Rock and sounded the call to gather the Clan.

"IceClan, today we are accepting a new member. He is with Optimus, and they will arrive at camp soon." With that short statement, Icestar ended the meeting, and glowered at the entrance of camp, sitting next to the entrance to her den.

"What's got your tail in a twist?" Wildfang walked up the leader.

"Nothing." Icestar growled.

"Liar." Wildfang shot back. Icestar rolled her eyes.

"That new cat, it wasn't even my idea to have him join. He was rude right off from the start, and then Optimus asked him to join the Clan, without even asking me first!" Icestar hissed.

"What? Why would he do that?" Wildfang mewed in surprise.

"You never know with toms." Icestar growled. This time it was Wildfang who rolled her eyes.

"You have problems with toms."

"Do not!" Icestar hissed. Wildfang just shrugged, and then walked away. Icestar grumbled to herself about 'stupid toms' and 'mouse brained' and 'I'm the leader, not him'. Icestar snapped out of her thoughts when two toms entered the camp, and Icestar scowled to herself. There was something about that Sentinel Prime that was off… but Icestar couldn't think of what it was. But she could sense something bad was coming… and soon.

_*Optimus P.O.V.*_

The blue and red tom sat with the other Autocats, who were clustered around Sentinel, asking how he survived this long by himself.

"It's the nature of the Primes to know how to survive alone." The red and gray tom answered. Optimus was about to speak when another voice spoke behind him.

"Can we go on patrol?" Optimus turned around to see Graypaw.

"Of course." The blue and red tom got to his pedes, but was interrupted by Sentinel.

"Who is this?" Sentinel Prime asked.

"This is my apprentice, Graypaw." Optimus answered.

"Apprentice? To be a Prime? He hardly looks adequate." Sentinel Prime sniffed disdainfully.

"No, this is my apprentice training to be a warrior." Optimus explained, as he heard Graypaw mutter "Inadequate? Inadequate for what?" Optimus turned around and led his apprentice out of camp and into the forest. The older tom stopped when they reached the training area for the apprentices.

"Alright, let's see your hunting skills." Optimus stared.

"Wait, before we begin. What did that tom mean by 'inadequate'?" Graypaw grumbled. "He had no right to be that rude. What does he know?" Optimus bristled at the gray tom's words.

"What does he know? He knows far more than you do, Graypaw." The red and blue tom narrowed his eyes.

"Well, he doesn't sound like it." Graypaw snorted, rolling his eyes.

"He is your elder and you will treat him with respect!" Optimus growled.

"You can't tell me what to do!" Graypaw hissed, springing to his paws.

"I am your mentor. I have every right to tell you what to do! Keep that up and you won't be able to become a warrior. For what you have said, you will clean and tend to the elders for a moon!"

"My mother wouldn't allow it!" Graypaw shot back.

"I think she would, once I report back to her what you said." Optimus narrowed his eyes, furious.

"You may be my mentor, but that's all you are!" Graypaw cried.

"I am your mentor, but mentors also stand as a parent figure!" Optimus snarled. "Sentinel Prime was like a father to me, and I hope I can be the same to you. A father figure corrects his children, and right now, you need some discipline." Optimus growled.

"You will never be like my father! You cannot replace him! You will never be like Sunblaze! " Graypaw howled, shoving past the startled blue and red tom. Optimus sat down in the clearing, regretting having yelled at Graypaw. But then the regret was gone as he remembered what the disrespectful apprentice had said about Sentinel. The tom stood up and walked back to camp, intending on still punishing Graypaw. As Optimus walked into camp, he immediately saw Icestar standing in the shadow of the Ice Rock.

"Uh oh." The tom muttered, before walking over to the she-cat. As soon as he was within ear-shot, Icestar leapt to her paws.

"What did you say to Graypaw?" She snarled. Luckily, no other Clan cat was able to hear their discussion.

"He was disrespectful to Sentinel. He needed to be punished." Optimus mewed.

"Can you blame him? That tom you called a 'father-figure' was rude to me and my kit! I can see why Graypaw would be cross! I don't trust Sentinel myself!" Icestar hissed.

"What? That's completely idiotic!" Optimus defended the older tom.

"Well, if I'm idiotic, then you're blind! There's something wrong with him that I don't trust." Icestar growled.

Optimus snarled. "You have no right to say that!"

"I have no right? You had no right to invite him into the Clan without asking me first!" Icestar narrowed her eyes to slits. "You are not the leader of this Clan!"

"But I am your friend! I can help with leadership. I was leader of the Autocats before we came here!" Optimus growled.

"Well, it's a wonder how you all survived! It shows that you don't think before you make decisions!" Optimus's fur bristled at Icestar's insult. "I always consulted Sunblaze before I made a decision!" Icestar growled.

"And we can see where that got you!" Optimus snarled. Icestar's sparked with shock and hurt, which switched to rage and hate. Optimus immediately regretted his words, but never expected what happened next.

_*Icestar P.O.V.*_

Icestar's paw flew through the air, and the blow sent Optimus sprawled on the ground, dazed. Icestar gazed around the camp, shocked, as the eyes of her Clan were all on her and Optimus. The blue and red tom got up, bearing three claw marks on his left cheek, which were bleeding. Shock and horror played on the faces and eyes of her Clan, and Icestar suddenly felt very fearful. She could see the Autocats glaring at her in hate and horror. Icestar shoved past Optimus, who was staring at her, eyes wide. Icestar shoved through the camp entrance, feelings the burning stares of the Clan even as she was well into the forest. She didn't even know where her paws were taking her until she found herself at the gorge. Icestar looked down the chasm, mesmerized by the water. Icestar shook her head, and jumped across the narrowest part of the gorge and into SnowClan territory. The IceClan leader sprinted across t he territory, hiding from patrols, and finally made it to where the WinterGem was. The she-cat walked shakily through the darkness, until the glow of the WinterGem was spotted. Icestar lay near the stone and pressed her nose to the stone. She waited for sleep to take her, and when she opened her eyes, she was still in the same place.

"Has even StarClan abandoned me?" Icestar wailed, her voice echoing through the cavern.

"It seems so, _Icestar._" Icestar jumped at the voice, not expecting an answer. Icestar whirled around, eyes searching through the darkness, until she found a pair of glowing eyes. Icestar's breath caught in her throat as she recognized the shape that walked out of the darkness.

"M-Megatron!" Icestar snarled.

"You remember my name? I'm flattered." The tom answered malevolently.

"What are you doing here!?"

"I said I would return. And now, I have a proposition for you. You care for your Clan, no? My deal is, if you exile the Autocats, we will not attack the Clans." The gray tom growled.

"Your forces are too small to attack all the Clans!" Icestar snarled.

"Oh, is that what you think? Well, just so you know, we have eyes on the inside. But that will be our little secret." Megatron grinned, and then disappeared into the back of the cavern. Icestar gasped as she realized what he had meant. She scrambled away from the WinterGem and sprinted through the dark caverns, eyes wide in horror. As she burst into the night air, Icestar didn't stop running. She sprinted straight across the moorland that SnowClan lived on, and jumped the gorge, nearly twisting a paw as she landed. She sprinted on, the forest seeming to be endless in her hurry.

"IceClan! Sentinel is a traitor-" Icestar was slammed into the ground as she entered the camp, the wind blown out of her.

"Sentinel? What are you doing?" Icestar heard Wildfang hiss.

"You see, IceClan, when you're in the middle of a war, deals are made, and it's best to be on the winning side." The old tom said, teeth bared. "And it's with the best intentions that I sided with the Decepticats." The tom raised his paw, ready to slash his claws across Icestar's throat.

"Sentinel, _no_!" Icestar heard Optimus cry. Suddenly, the weight was lifted off Icestar as another cat tackled Sentinel to the ground. Icestar scrambled to her paws to see Ironhide thrown off the red and gray, and then, before any cat could expect it, Sentinel's jaws were clamped down on Ironhide's neck. A few cats leapt at Sentinel, and the betrayer dropped Ironhide onto the ground before springing away.

"You have four sunrises to exile the Autocats. The other Decepticats have already told the other leaders, and they will be ready to meet tomorrow with their deputies and two warriors at the Gathering place and agree to our demands. If you agree, we will leave the Clans alone." The tom snarled and sprang into the forest.

"Icestar! Let us go after him!" Stormfall snarled.

"No! I can't risk any one of us getting killed! Blackpoppy!" Icestar called desperately to the medicine cat, who was already inspecting Ironhide's wound.

"I can heal him, but it's up to StarClan." Blackpoppy mewed. Icestar heard Chromia give a distraught wail.

"Stormfall, Tigerstrike, take Ironhide to the medicine cats' den. We will discuss this. I swear it!" Icestar yowled. Icestar leapt onto the Ice Rock.

"Cat's of IceClan! We must prepare for war! This will not be tolerated! I will go with Wildfang to meet with the other leaders and negotiate with them. As of now, this is _war!" _Icestar howled. The Clan gave their own battle cries, the sound echoing through the forest, causing the birds and animals to look up in fear.


	19. Chapter 19

**The plot gets thicker! :o**

**Leader Allegiances:**

**IceClan- Icestar**

**RainClan- Rainstar**

**HailClan- Eaglestar**

**FrostClan- Midnightstar**

**SnowClan- Swiftstar**

**BlizzardClan- Minkstar**

**GlacierClan- Wolfstar**

**MistClan- Phoenixstar**

**SleetClan- Nightstar**

_*Optimus P.O.V.*_

Optimus sat by himself near the edge of camp, still in shock. He had no idea Sentinel would betray them. The question was, _how _could he betray them? He also knew the Icestar had been right, but he had been blinded by his own excitement to not see it. His face still stung where Icestar had clawed him, but he felt he deserved it. He closed his optics and his audio receptors lay flat against his helm. He felt shameful for having insulted Icestar like that. She was right; she was the leader of IceClan, not he. He watched Icestar leave with Wildfang and two other warriors, and wished he could apologize.

_*Icestar P.O.V.*_

Icestar had her eyes narrowed the whole time she, Shadestare, Hollyleaf, and Wildfang ran through the forest, going over what she would say in the Autocats' defense. The leader had decided to bring Shadestare and Hollyleaf along. Icestar picked up the already sprinting pace, leaving the others to scramble behind. Sooner than Icestar expected, she had sprinted all the way to the Gathering place, and spotted the other eight leaders. Her patrol caught up, and both leaders and deputies sat in a circle to discuss. The other leaders had also brought two warriors themselves.

"How did this happen? I thought this whole war had blown over after the Battle of the Gorge." Eaglestar hissed.

"They brought their war to our lands! Our warriors have fallen for no reason!" Midnightstar snarled.

"Let us not forget who even made an alliance with the Decepticats in the first place, Midnightstar." Icestar hissed.

"Hold on! Stop acting like kits!" Rainstar yowled.

"Yes, before we start throwing insults like apprentices, let's go over the facts." Wolfstar of GlacierClan growled. Wolfstar, being the oldest leader, commanded respect from even the other leaders.

"We were threatened to give up the Autocats or we would be thrown into yet another war." Swiftstar stated.

"I, for one, am not willing to have my Clan slaughtered." Minkstar of BlizzardClan snarled.

"I am not willing to give up valuable warriors!" Icestar snarled.

"Everyone calm down!" The medicine cat from RainClan, Peaceheart, hissed.

"But you'll be doing so by letting them stay! The rest of your Clan will be slaughtered!" Midnightstar howled. The deputies had stayed silent while their leaders argued. Icestar was about to snap something back when the bushes on the far side of the clearing rustled. Thirty-six heads turned and looked, and Icestar saw the bane of her existence stalk through the undergrowth.

"Megatron!" Wildfang gasped.

"I hate to interrupt, but I thought I would help you make your decision." The tom with half a face sneered. "Leaders of the Winter Clans, meet these fine cats." As Megatron said that last sentence, a large group of cats stepped out. They sat in groups of fours themselves, and there were seven groups altogether.

"Megatron, who are these cats?" One of them stepped forward, a brown tabby with amber eyes.

"Bramblestar, these are the leaders of the Winter Clans." Megatron said.

"There are other Clans?" A white tom with huge black paws growled.

"Why don't you all introduce yourselves?" Megatron hissed. Icestar stepped forward, as the other leaders stayed quiet.

"I am Icestar of IceClan." Icestar began, and introduced the other Clan leaders. "We are the Winter Clans. Who are you?"

"I am Bramblestar of ThunderClan. This is Blackstar of ShadowClan," He pointed with his tail to the large white tom that had spoken earlier. "This is Aurorastar of AuroraClan." He pointed to a tri-colored tom with silky fur. "This is Mistystar of RiverClan," The gray she-cat on his right nodded. "That is Onestar of WindClan," The brown tabby tom growled lowly in his throat as he was introduced. "That is Leafstar of SkyClan," Bramblestar introduced a tabby and white she-cat. "And this is Stoneteller, leader of the Tribe of Rushing Water."

"What are you doing in our territories?" Wolfstar growled.

"We are here to help Megatron defeat you. You say you worship StarClan, but you're all just a bunch of rogues." The one named Onestar hissed.

"How dare you!" Eaglestar snarled.

"How could you say that, Bramblestar!?" Hollyleaf jumped forward, but immediately stopped by Icestar. The brown tabby narrowed his amber eyes, and then they widened.

"Hollyleaf?" He said in shock.

"Hollyleaf, you know this cat?" Icestar growled.

"Yes. He is the leader of ThunderClan. What happened to Firestar?" The black she-cat asked.

"He has moved onto StarClan." Bramblestar murmured.

"Hollyleaf, what are you doing here? We thought you were dead!" A golden tabby tom jumped towards Hollyleaf.

"Hollyleaf, who are these cats?" Shadestare asked quietly.

"These are my brothers… your brothers…" Hollyleaf said, motioning to the undersized gray tabby and golden tabby.

"What?" The tom named Lionblaze stopped in his pawsteps. "We have another sister?"

"Yes. Leafpool gave her to kittypets because Ferncloud did not have enough milk for four kits." Hollyleaf answered.

"What are you doing here, in IceClan? Come home, Hollyleaf!" The undersized gray tom said.

"I can't, Jayfeather. IceClan is my Clan now." Hollyleaf mewed, and then turned around and stood behind Icestar.

"Now that everyone knows who everyone is, this is the deal." Megatron began. "Give up the Autocats, and we will not attack. Refuse to give them up and you will all be slaughtered." The other Clan leaders slunk into the undergrowth, Megatron following. Wolfstar turned to Icestar.

"Icestar, you must think of the Clans." He began.

"I know." Icestar sighed. The Winter Clan cats turned and left for their own territories. Icestar led her cats back to camp with a heavy thought.

_***Back at Camp***_

Icestar padded into camp, and immediately felt the curious and anxious gazes of her Clanmates on her. Icestar jumped onto the Ice Rock and sounded the call for the Clan to gather.

"The leaders have come to a decision." Icestar began. She sighed quietly before continuing on. "The Autocats have to leave." As soon as she finished her sentence, the Clan erupted into chaos.

"Are you serious, Icestar?" Stormfall called.

"We can beat this! We will not be cowards!" She heard Ironhide snarl.

"How can ya exile us?" Icestar flinched as she heard Jazz's words, but she shook herself and stood up to her full height.

"I did not want to exile them! But Megatron is back, and with him he has brought seven other Clans! Yes, there are more Clans than us! And StarClan knows how many recruits Megatron has! We cannot win this war. We were told that if we surrendered the Autocats, we won't be slaughtered." Icestar's speech quieted down the cats. "Wildfang and I will take the Autocats and show them the safest route away at sunset." Icestar jumped down from her perch and, as the Clan broke up into shocked groups, her heart broke. The black and white she-cat sat there for a long time, and jumped when she felt a nose touch her ear. She looked up into the sad dark blue eyes of Wildfang, and knew it was time. Icestar stood up, and saw the Autocats waiting at the entrance of the camp. Without a word, Icestar led them out of camp, Wildfang by her side. The silence was deafening as they made their way to the northern border.

"I'm sorry." Icestar whispered hoarsely as Optimus walked by.

"You're doing what's best for the Clan. I won't hold you to that." The blue and red tom murmured. Icestar touched her nose to his, and their eyes met for a brief second before Optimus broke his gaze away. Icestar's heart broke as she watched the tom walk away to lead his cats into the mountain; her unborn kits would never know their father.

It only took a small amount of time for the group of cats to disappear into the mountain trails.

"It's over." Wildfang said. "What do we do-" She was interrupted. From the mountain trail, there came the howling and snarling of wolves and, underneath the sounds of the wolves, the screams of cats. Silence descended on the leader and deputy, whose eyes were as wide as the full moon.

"What… what have we done?" Wildfang murmured.

"We sentenced innocent cats to death…" Icestar whispered in horror. For the third time that night, her heart shattered.

***\./*\./*\./***

At camp, Wildfang and Icestar told nothing about what had befallen the Autocats at the mountains. There was no need to panic the others. Wildfang bid goodnight to Icestar, and the leader nodded to her deputy. Icestar curled up in her nest, staring at the stone wall, unable to shut the screams out of her ears. Icestar fell into a fitful rest, and woke up soon after. She opened her eyes, but she couldn't see anything. She took a breath, hoping to calm herself, but choked on the air. The air was filled with smoke. Icestar burst out of her den.

"Fire!" She howled, and her cry woke up Wildfang. "Wildfang, fire!" The leader howled. The deputy nodded, and quickly woke up the warriors. Icestar woke up the elders, quickly waking them up by jabbing their sides. The crankiness they had from being woken up so rudely quickly vanished as they sensed what was going on. Icestar nudged the elders from their den, and saw Wildfang gathering the Clan at the entrance. Icestar was about to follow when movement caught her eyes. She looked closer, and saw a shape dart between the flames, a long object in its mouth with… _fire _at the end? Icestar immediately knew the fire was no accident.

"Wildfang! Take the Clan to the river!" Icestar ordered, filled with rage.

"What about you?" The deputy hissed.

"This fire was started by the Decepticats. I refuse to let them get away with this!" Icestar snarled. Wildfang wanted to object, but didn't argue. The deputy led the cats into the forest, and Icestar whirled around, eyes blazing as strong as the fire.

"Come out, you cowards! I know it's you out there, Sentinel!" Icestar roared, claws gripping the ground, body shaking in fury.

"That's quite rude, you know." Icestar heard the deep voice, and saw the tom walking out of the shadows.

"You coward!" Icestar howled.

"Shut up." Sentinel growled, and leapt at Icestar. "I shouldn't have let you live!" Icestar dodged the tom, jumping to the side, only to run into another body. She looked into the eyes of someone she once knew…

"_Breavheart!?" _Icestar roared, only to be smacked into the ground by another paw. "Flarepelt?" Icestar snarled. "You work with the Decepticats now? Have you no honor or dignity?"

"We lost our dignity the day you exiled us." Braveheart snarled. "Now we're finally getting our revenge."

"It will take more than that to kill me!" Icestar crouched, snarling.

"Who said we were going to kill you?" Flarepelt growled. Icestar turned around just in time to dodge Sentinel, who had leapt at her. The older tom slammed into Flarepelt, who was thrown to the ground. Braveheart growled at his companions, and then leapt at Icestar himself. Icestar rose up to meet him, but there was one thing Braveheart had taken unaccounted for; the fury of a mother. Icestar slammed her paws down Braveheart's shoulders, shoving him into the hot soil, clawing his back and sides. Icestar was tackled by Flarepelt, and Icestar rolled to her paws, shaking the dirt from her pelt. Icestar leapt through the air, soaring over Flarepelt, and hooking Sentinel Prime's fur in her claws.

"This is for Optimus, and all the other Autocats!" Icestar screeched, biting down on the gray and red tom's shoulder, biting down the bone. The tom snarled, and one of the other toms grabbed her scruff, dragging her away. Icestar writhed and ripped her neck fur away from the one that had grabbed it. She turned around in a circle, only to see nothing. No cats, no enemies. Just the flames. The IceClan leader twitched her ears, and heard pawsteps rushing behind her. Icestar whirled around, only to have her head slammed onto the ground, knocking her unconscious.


	20. Chapter 20

**This chapter is kind of dark, I think. Nothing too bad, but a little dark.**

**Founders of the Clans (You need to know this for later on in the chapter):**

**Original Clans:**

**Thunderstar- large ginger tabby with white paws, ThunderClan**

**Shadowstar- black she-cat, ShadowClan**

**Windstar- wiry brown she-cat, WindClan**

**Riverstar- gray tom, RiverClan**

**Skystar- gray tom with white markings, SkyClan**

**Lake Clans:**

**Icestar- white she-cat with ice blue eyes, IceClan**

**Rainstar- gray she-cat with green eyes, RainClan**

**Hailstar- gray tabby tom with white toes, HailClan**

**Glacierstar- black tom with white muzzle, GlacierClan**

**Blizzardstar- white tom with gray spots, BlizzardClan**

**Froststar- pale gray she-cat with pale green eyes, FrostClan**

**Snowstar- white she-cat with tail stripes, SnowClan**

**Miststar- black tom with gray underbelly, MistClan**

**Sleetstar- gray tabby tom, SleetClan**

_*Icestar P.O.V*_

Icestar jerked awake from her nightmare. She stood up and stretched, enjoying the feeling.

"It just must have been a reaction of the past days' events." She murmured, and then looked around her den. Only… it wasn't her den. Icestar immediately knew that it had not been a dream. She really had been captured. Before Icestar made a sound, she sniffed the air, and found many unrecognizable scents. She saw the shadows of two cats blocking the sunlight, and let out a low hiss.

"Let me out of here, you pieces of foxdung!" Icestar howled, snarling loudly.

"Shut up in there." One of the guards growled.

"Make me, coward! I can bury you in the ground easy!" Icestar challenged back.

"Just ignore her, Spitfire. She's just goading you on." The second guard said quietly.

"Easy for you to say, Deathfall." Spitfire snorted to his companion. "I hate she-cats."

"Too bad you're one as well, Spitfire." Icestar yowled, turning around and pacing in the small space.

"I'm going to kill her…" Spitfire snarled.

"Leave that to Megatron or Sentinel." Deathfall warned.

"Nah, Sentinel Prime wants her alive for some reason. Maybe in exchange for the Clans' allegiance?" Spitfire suggested. Icestar shuddered involuntarily. She heard another voice enter the conversation.

"Is she awake?" It asked.

"No, we're hearing voices insulting us." Spitfire snapped.

"It wouldn't be the first time for you, Spitfire." Deathfall growled. Spitfire snapped something inaudible and growled.

"Well, bring her out." The voice ordered. Icestar pressed herself against the wall and crouched down, eyes narrowed into slits and fur bristling. She buried her face in her paws, and screeched when she felt jaws grab her scruff. She was dragged across the ground and out of the den, trying to grab at the walls of the den with her claws, trying to get a grab of something to stop. When she was finally yanked from the den, she was dumped unceremoniously onto the ground. The Decepticats let her get to her paws, but hissed and snarled when she tried to move around. She growled at her captors, but faced forward and found herself looking at two toms. One was blue pelted with an orange face and other orange markings, and the other was a red tom with white underfur.

"This is her? This is Icestar?" The blue tom said disdainfully.

"Hold your tongue unless you want me to rip it out." Icestar snarled. The red tom rolled his eyes.

"Anyways, I am Knockout, the Decepticats medic." The red tom said.

"And I'm Breakdown." The blue tom growled.

"Good. You guys know your names." Icestar growled. The tom named Knockout rolled his eyes.

"Well, I'm supposed to check you over so you'll have to deal with it." Icestar still as the medic looked over, and then relaxed when he stepped back.

"Interesting… they didn't tell me you were expecting." The tom said casually. Icestar stiffened.

"She's what!?" Icestar turned her head to see Megatron walk up.

"Are you deaf?" Knockout snorted. Megatron shoved his face in Icestar's.

"Whose are they? Are they my blasted brother's?" Megatron snarled.

"That's not of your business, and it doesn't matter because he's dead!" Icestar hissed, ears flat. Icestar turned around and ducked back into the den she was being kept in, snarling and growling to herself, swiping at the air with her claws. He would find a way out of this prison, one way or another.

***Two Days Later***

The fact that she was a prisoner was finally starting to sink in. From what Icestar could understand was that no other Clan cats were prisoners… except for the third day since she had been captured.

"What is this?" Icestar heard Starscream screech.

"It's an apprentice we found snooping around, sir." One of the Decepticats answered.

"Well, looks like we have to teach him a lesson." Icestar balled her paws up and pressed them into her ears to try and block out the screeching of the apprentice. Finally, the horrifying sound stopped, and Icestar jumped as a body was thrown into the den she was in. She cautiously approached the apprentice. As she looked closer, the tom was bleeding from his ears and his left eye. Starscream had ripped more than half of each ear off, and where the left eye used to be was just a gaping black hole. The tom struggled to get up into a sitting position, whimpering and crying. Icestar recognized him as the apprentice opened his remaining eye. Icestar's heart nearly stopped: This tom was her son, Bearpaw.

"Bearpaw!" She cried. "What did they do to you!?" She cried. The mottled brown tabby tom limped over to him mother.

"Mother!" He whimpered. Her son pressed himself up against her chest, his blood soaking into her fur. "They… he-he took my ears… and my eye! My eye!" Bearpaw wailed.

"What are you doing here?" Icestar asked her son, pain flashing through her eyes.

"I was looking for you! We came back to camp and you were gone! I wanted to find you…" Bearpaw's voice quieted, and he sobbed into Icestar's fur. Icestar gently licked what was left of her son's ears, and then closely inspected where his eye used to be, and then licked the blood away from that, trying to ignore the whimpers from Bearpaw. Suddenly, Icestar stood up and walked over to the entrance of the den.

"Hey, you! Bring Starscream here!" Icestar ordered. She saw the guards shrug.

"Hey, Commander Starscream! That she-cat wants to speak with you." One called.

"Mother, what are you doing?" She heard Bearpaw whimper.

"Hush," She said quietly. Icestar saw the shadow Starscream created as he leaned over the den.

"What do you want?" The tom snapped irritably. Icestar leapt from the darkness, hooking her claws into the tom's pelt and bowling him over. The IceClan leader clamped her jaws down on his front right leg, biting down to the bone, putting enough pressure to crack it. The tom howled in pain as his leg fractured, and he pushed Icestar away and scrambled to his paws. Icestar swing her paw with all the force she could muster, and sent the tom sprawling across the ground, bleeding from various wounds. Icestar gave a quick thought to why no one had stopped her yet, and glanced up when a few Decepticats leapt to their paws. The Decepticats that had leapt up looked to their right, and sat back down. Icestar turned her head slightly to see Megatron watching with amusement, while Sentinel just watched with annoyance. Icestar clamped her jaws down on Starscream's shoulder, scraping the bone with her teeth, her claws slashing across his face and chest, pulling out clumps of fur and drawing blood.

"Alright; that's enough. I need my second in command in one piece." Icestar heard Megatron order. She felt teeth grab her scruff, and struggled to get free to attack Starscream once more.

"You'll get yours, Starscream! You'll get yours!" Icestar screeched, spitting out tufts of Starscream's fur.

"Oh, like I haven't heard that before!" Starscream called back. Icestar was thrown back into the den, eyes still wild with fury.

"Mother?" Icestar immediately calmed down as she heard her son.

"Bearpaw, what is it?" She murmured sadly.

"If we ever get out of here, will I still be able to become a warrior?" The tom sniffled. It broke Icestar's heart to see her son like this.

"Of course, Bearpaw. We will work around this. You will be a warrior." Icestar vowed, licking her son's forehead. Icestar sat in the den, watching the light fade into night. As night descended, the black and white she-cat curled around her wounded son, giving him a small amount of comfort. Icestar watched the stars through the small space of the den and sighed, closing her eyes. She jumped when she heard voices whispering outside of the den. The black and white leader crept silently to the mouth of the cave and listened in.

"Why did Megatron even bring those other Clans?" A voice hissed.

"It's so he could take over the local Clans. But after he takes over these Clans and kills the leaders, he'll kill the leaders of the other Clans." A second voice whispered. Icestar's eyes widened in horror.

"Why does he keep that leader we captured alive then?" The first voice asked.

"I don't know if this is true, but I heard that Sentinel and Megatron plan on using her kits as Decepticats. And when the kits are old enough, they'll kill the she-cat." Icestar backed up from the den entrance, eyes wide in fear. She curled back up around her son, and laid her head on her paws, eyes still wide. It was a long time until she fell asleep.

***The Next Day at IceClan Camp***

"We must get Icestar back!" Stormfall snarled.

"I want out leader just as much as everyone else, but we must get the other Clan leaders to help us or we'll be obliterated!" Wildfang yowled from the Ice Rock. The deputy felt strange talking from there, as she was not leader yet.

"Wildfang… I volunteer to go to the new Clans and ask for their help." Hollyleaf said quietly.

"Hollyleaf, I know you mean well, but what if you get captured by them?" Sleetstorm, her mate, asked worriedly.

"My mother, father, and brothers are there. I believe they will help me." Hollyleaf stated boldly, suddenly proud of her half-Clan heritage. Wildfang sighed.

"Alright; but be careful and come back as soon as you can." Wildfang relented. Hollyleaf nodded, and turned around and ran out of the camp entrance as fast as her paws could take her.

"StarClan be with her." Pureheart, one of the elders called. The old black tom hoped the she-cat would be able to get the other Clans to help them get Icestar back. The leader was a like a daughter to him, and he would do anything, even in his old age, to get her back.

Hollyleaf jumped over fallen trees and bushes, heading to where ThunderClan and the rest of the Lake Clans were. She ran under the tunnel where Icestar had once hidden the kits of IceClan when they were taken back from FrostClan. Hollyleaf lifted her nose to the air and sniffed, making sure there were no Decepticats about. She quickly crossed the Gathering place clearing, and into FrostClan territory. Walking along the river, she sprinted to the HailClan border, and then traveled along the borders of both Clans. When she reached the edge of Winter Clan territory, she could smell the scent markers of ThunderClan. Hollyleaf crossed the border, feeling a prickling of unease as she did so. The scent of ThunderClan grew stronger as she reached what she hoped would be the camp, and heard multiple voices grow louder.

"Lionblaze? Jayfeather?" Hollyleaf called softly.

"Hollyleaf? What are you doing here?" Hollyleaf's brother, Jayfeather, stalked out of the undergrowth.

"I must speak with the leaders." The black she-cat stated boldly.

"What for?"

"I just have to. Can you lead me to them?" Hollyleaf asked.

"Of course." Jayfeather mewed a little suspiciously. "Follow me." Hollyleaf followed her through a small clearing filled with Clan cats she somewhat recognized. The scent of cats got stronger and stronger as Jayfeather lead her to a huge clearing crawling with cats. All the leaders were there except for Aurorastar, formerly known as Sol.

"Hollyleaf? What are you doing here?" Bramblestar turned around and gazed at her with wide amber eyes.

"I've come to talk to you all leaders." Hollyleaf dipped her black head.

"What is it?" Blackstar growled. Hollyleaf took a deep breath before continuing on.

"You must help the Winter Clans defeat Megatron. We desperately need your help. And though there are nine of us Winter Clans, we do not want a full scale war." Hollyleaf mewed desperately.

"Why should we?" Onestar hissed.

"Because if you don't, you'll lose many warriors as well. Heavy casualties will occur on each side, and no one wants that. Mothers, fathers, apprentices, warriors, leaders, and deputies will be killed." Hollyleaf warned. The leaders shared a glance; no one wanted their warriors obliterated.

"I have to agree with Hollyleaf, but still. You left us. How do we know you're not trying to set us up into an ambush?" Bramblestar narrowed his eyes.

"I would never sentence whole Clans to death!" Hollyleaf hissed. "Our camp was burned because of the Decepticats! And our leader was captured by them, and one of our apprentices has gone missing as well!"

"What?" Leafstar narrowed her eyes. "Why would they do that?" The white and tabby she-cat asked.

"Because we have fought with the Decepticats longer than you! They pitted all of the Clans against one another except for MistClan, who stayed neutral. And then they attacked out camp as well!" Hollyleaf argued. "Megatron wants nothing but power! He's a kit killer and a murderer!" Hollyleaf yowled, eyes blazing. After a long moment of silence.

"I do not want to put my Clan in danger. I must side with the Winter Clans." Bramblestar nodded. Leafstar turned torn, and then nodded along with the ThunderClan leader. The other Clan leaders nodded, along with Teller of the Stones, leader of the Tribe of Rushing Water.

"Thank you so much!" Hollyleaf sighed. "But you mustn't tell any of the Decepticats or Aurorastar. He might be a leader, but he tried to destroy ShadowClan once."

"Wait, did you say Sol?" Leafstar growled. "That tom tried to join our Clan! He stole my kits away and the whole Clan tried to find them for suns! He stole them away because he wanted to 'find' them and prove he was fit to be a warrior!" The SkyClan leader snarled.

"I knew he was no good!" Onestar growled.

"Hold on; we mustn't make accusations. Like Hollyleaf said, we must keep a low profile." Bramblestar warned, and then he turned back to Hollyleaf. "Hollyleaf, one more thing. I have seen Megatron's legions. There are enough to make about ten Clans of warriors. They are hiding beyond the mountains." The tabby mewed. Hollyleaf's green eyes widened in horror.

"Then we need your help as much as we need StarClan's." She murmured.

"We will support and fight for the Winter Clans." Blackstar growled. "Now, go and tell the other Clans that we will fight alongside them." Hollyleaf nodded and turned around on her paws, sprinting back into the Winter Clan territories, making stops along the way to tell the other Clans.

***In StarClan***

Deep in the forests of StarClan, the very first leaders of every Clan were meeting, including the Lake Clans and Winter Clans.

"Our Clans are in deep, terrible trouble." Rainstar, a gray she-cat with green eyes growled.

"The fact that Megatron has his legions with a number of cats that amount to ten Clans and the fact among his legions are the dead." Thunderstar, founder of ThunderClan whispered, horrified.

"We must fight alongside the living Clans as well. The fate of the whole Lake and Winter Lands are in our paws as well as theirs." Shadowstar, first leader of ShadowClan, hissed.

"I agree. We must fight." Icestar, first leader of IceClan, mewed.

"As two StarClans, I declare we become one for now until this threat is over." Riverstar howled. After a moment of silence, the other first leaders nodded, one by one, agreeing that the Clans would see another day, many days more.


	21. Chapter 21

**Okay, so I had my list of Rascal Flatts songs playing on my Youtube playlist… and totally made me sad. ;-; BUT THEY DESCRIBE ICESTAR SO WELL…**

**So, life has been emotional lately, so I don't know how long this will be or if it will be good or not.**

_*Icestar P.O.V.*_

Ever since her capture, Icestar had become a very light sleeper, always jerking awake when she heard voices. She was becoming paranoid.

"Hey! Wake up in there!" One of the Decepticats snarled. Icestar growled lowly back.

"Get that apprentice out of there. It's time we took care of him." Icestar recognized Megatron's voice. The leader stood in front of her son, back arched and tail tip twitching. As one of the Decepticats snuck into the den, Icestar immediately spotted him and sent the tom reeling with a blow to the face.

"Stay away from him!" Icestar screeched.

"In all honesty, sir, there is no way I am going down there." A new voice entered the conversation. Icestar heard Megatron snarl, and then the talking ceased.

***At IceClan Camp***

"How did it go, Hollyleaf?" Wildfang asked.

"The other leaders agreed to fight with us except for AuroraClan. But the other leaders will not tell Aurorstar of their plans because that Clan is loyal to the Decepticats." Hollyleaf reported.

"Alright; good job." Wildfang started to turn away when Hollyleaf spoke again.

"Wildfang… I also learned something." The black she-cat said quietly. The change in mood brought Wildfang to turn around again.

"What is it?" Wildfang narrowed her dark blue eyes.

"Megatron has brought an army with him, as well… enough to make ten Clans…" Hollyleaf mewed quietly.

"What?" Wildfang hissed. "StarClan, help us…" The she-cat muttered mournfully.

***In StarClan***

"Who are you to tell us what to do!?" Coldstar snarled at Bluestar, a former leader of ThunderClan.

"These are our hunting grounds that we allow you to stay on!" Frostglacier hissed.

"Our Clans are in danger as well!" Tallstar, the former leader of WindClan mewed coldly.

"Calm down, the lot of you!" Cloverspeckle hissed. "Arguing with each other like senseless kits will not help the Clans, nor us!" The words of the she-cat quieted the others.

"Do we even know when they will strike?" Whitestorm, a former warrior of ThunderClan, asked quietly.

"We can only hope that when they do, we will be ready." Sunblaze vowed.

_*Icestar P.O.V.*_

Icestar started awake as she heard someone call into the den. She slowly got to her paws and walked to the entrance of the den and saw the Decepticat medic looking down at her.

"Here, take these for your son." The medic pushed some herbs down the mouth of the den to Icestar. Icestar looked at the herbs with wide eyes.

"Why would you help me?" She asked suspiciously.

"I'm not exactly a fan of being a Decepticat. Now take them before I get caught." Knockout said quietly, before whisking away out of sight. Icestar quickly took the herbs, which she recognized ones she could make into a poultice, and quickly the chewed up herbs and rubbed them onto her son's wounds. Still surprised at the tom's kindness, Icestar curled up around her son once more and slept a little more peacefully.

***The Next Day***

"Hey, wake up!" A voice hissed. Icestar jumped awake as a paw jabbed her side. She scrambled to her paws to see Knockout's assistant, Breakdown. The IceClan leader stood protectively over her son, claws extended. "Calm down; I'm not going to hurt him. But Megatron plans on showing you something." Icestar narrowed her eyes, but followed the blue tom obediently. Icestar squinted as the sun shined in her eyes, blinding her for a moment. When her eyes adjusted, she was surrounded by a patrol of Decepticons. The toms forced her through the camp and out into the forest. Icestar stalked along in silence, knowing there was no way she'd be able to get away, and even if she did, there was no chance she would leave Bearpaw alone. After a long while of walking, Icestar realized they were nearing the cave entrance that lead to the WinterGem. Just when Icestar thought the patrol would head down the tunnel, Megatron lead them around and entrance and up the steep rock cliffs and beyond. They headed down the slope on the other side into a small valley. The trees blocked out most of the sunlight, and the undergrowth was thick. After silence Icestar spoke.

"And what were you planning on showing me?" She growled, eyes narrowed to slits. Megatron didn't answer, and Icestar hissed in annoyance.

"We're here." The gray tom growled. Icestar looked down at a ravine, the hill sloping down sharply to where a river used to run. In the ravine were large cats, prowling about and snarling at each other in hatred. Icestar perked her ears, and realized the forest all around them was crawling with cats. Icestar whirled around, claws out, searching through the shadows. The IceClan leader turned sharply around as she heard a voice she never thought she would hear again.

"Megatron, what is my daughter doing here?" A tom almost as large as Megatron himself stood before the patrol. Icestar shook, fear playing throughout her eyes, fur bristling.

"Scarrestar." Megatron nodded to the gray tom. Scarredstar, named for the scars he suffered at birth from a fox attacking the nursery, stared at Icestar, making her flinch. After betraying IceClan and leaving for RainClan, Scarredstar became leader after murdering the RainClan leader before him. "I was just showing Icestar the damage that would happen if the rest of the Clans refused to join us."

"So, you became leader after all, eh?" Scarredstar sneered. Icestar snarled.

"You're dead! You can't harm me!" Icestar snarled. Scarredstar rolled his eyes, and swatted Icestar to the side, causing her to slam into a nearby tree.

"Just because we are dead doesn't mean we can't do harm." Icestar's father flexed his claws.

"The thing is, Icestar, is that the cats that are not allowed to enter StarClan when they die go the Dark Forest. The cats here include those of the very beginning of the Clans, and the present. Why, even the cats of the Clans who were denied by StarClan are here." Megatron narrowed his eyes. "For example," The gray tom flicked his tail, and other apparitions appeared in the clearing. The Decepticats in the patrol shifted nervously; even they were afraid of the specters.

"I am Tigerstar, former leader of ShadowClan and deputy of ThunderClan." A large bramble tabby with amber eyes stepped forward. "You have already met my son, Bramblestar."

"The name is Mapleshade, don't wear it out." A tortishell she-cat snarled. Many others stayed quiet, but Icestar cowered against the tree. She tried not to let her fear show through, but she wasn't able to control it.

"We will slaughter the Clans and gain our vengeance, unless they are willing to do as we command." Scarredstar growled, raising his head.

"Alright; that is enough time spent here. The hour of battle is near, and we must be prepared." Megatron snarled, and the patrol left as the evil cats of before and now faded into shadows until only their eyes remained.

***Somewhere Near A Farm***

"Eh, I don't know, Diesel… That's a lot of cats…" A cat's voice whispered.

"Nah, it's alright. They're alive." A second voice, which belonged to Diesel, mewed.

"I can tell that, but how do we know that they won't drive us out?" The first voiced meowed nervously. The tom nearest to them opened his eyes, and shot to his paws, eyes wide at the strangers. The first cat that spoke squealed and ducked behind the tom named Diesel. Diesel was an orange cat with black mottled stripes, and green eyes.

"Ey, amigo! You're awake!" Diesel said happily.

"Who are you?" The tom that woke up meowed warily.

"The names Diesel, and the coward behind me is Wheat." Diesel said good-naturedly.

"I am not a coward!" Wheat leapt up from behind the orange tom. Wheat was a sandy brown tom with darker stripes and amber eyes. "Anyways, what are you doing here?" The tom that had woken up sighed.

"We had to leave where we were living. There was a war going on and we were forced to leave."

"That's too bad. Anyways, stranger, what's your name?" Diesel murmured sympathetically. The tom drew himself up to his full height, eyes sparking with wisdom.

"My name is Optimus Prime. And we are the Autocats." The tom gestured with his tail to his sleeping companions.


	22. Chapter 22

**You guys didn't honestly think I would kill off the Autocats, did you? Pssh, you all have no faith in me. :)**

**Anyone ever notice how creepy it is when someone adds you to their author alert, and it says "-name here- is now following you". I got one and I was like "What? O-o"**

**One more thing: I will be taking requests to do oneshots for this story, so if you have any ideas suggest them, and I will probably write them! I will also take requests for pictures of this story on Deviantart, under the pen name Iceshadow911247.**

_*In StarClan*_

Cloverspeckle stood in horror as a vision enveloped her. Her eyes had glazed over in horror, and the cats surrounding her looked on in worry and fear.

The vision brought a terrible vision of the past. Along with having the dead as allies, the Decepticats had… wolves. The wolves were specters of the past as well, and there was no way a patrol of cats could beat a live wolf, let alone legions of them. As the vision of the wolves, Dark Forest cats, and Decepticats faded, Cloverspeckle was brought back to the present.

"It's the end of the Clans as we know it…" Cloverspeckle trembled on her paws, and then whirled around to tell the first leaders what she had seen.

_*Optimus P.O.V. __**Three Days After First Meeting the Farm Cats**__*_

"Hey, the humans are coming!" At Diesel's warning, the Autocats dove and hid in the hay, watching as the Twolegs entered the barn. Diesel and Wheat greeted the Twolegs, purring and rubbing around their legs. The Twolegs grabbed some of the hay bales before beginning to walk out. This would have been fine, if Ironhide hadn't been hiding behind the hay bales picked up.

"Hey, Will! You've got a new barn cat." One of the Twolegs called.

"Really, Epps?" The other walked over. "Let's hope he's a good mouser, then. The barn's filled with 'em." With that, the two Twolegs walked out of the barn.

"That was close." Ratchet commented.

"At least they didn't care." Diesel shrugged.

"Yeah, they don't really mind other cats as long as they aren't a bother." Wheat added. Optimus was about to speak when his eyesight turned pitch black, and then a scene enfolded in front of him. The vision was of a forest; in the forest Optimus found himself in a large clearing filled with cats. This wasn't any of the Clan camps he recognized. As he looked closer, he could recognize Megatron and Sentinel Prime. He nearly jumped out of his fur as they were right in front of him

"Don't worry, Optimus. They can't see us." Optimus turned to see Cloverspeckle beside him. "You needed this vision." Optimus narrowed his optics, and listened closer to what the two toms were saying.

"_When will the final battle start?" _Megatron growled.

"_As soon as the legions are ready. The Dark Forest cats have been training for more moons than you can count, and the wolf legions will also fight. The only problem we have is that all the other Clans and the Tribe of Rushing Water except for AuroraClan have turned against us." _Sentinel growled. Optimus nearly stopped breathing. The wolves were going to fight the war? And who were they Dark Forest cats?

"_And what use will Icestar be?" _Megatron asked. _"We might as well kill her while we have her captured now." _

"_We can use her for ransom, and then kill her, but only until after her kits are born. She will live until then."_

Optimus could hardly believe his ears. The Decepticats had captured Icestar? And she was expecting kits? As soon as he processes this, the vision was swept away, and a valley was shown instead. He found himself in a clearing, and again the inhabitants could not see them. The forest was dark, even though the sun was shining. In the forest, Optimus could see many training cats. Except, he could already tell these cats weren't alive. They were only ghosts of the past, and they were the Dark Forest. Also stalking through the undergrowth, were _wolves. _Live wolves _and _ghosts of wolves.

"The Clans have met their end…" Optimus said, dumbfounded. Ghosts of judged warriors from all the Clans and ghosts of wolves bent on revenge. The Clans could not win this war.

"Fear not." Optimus jumped as he heard a deep voice. Turning around, he saw seven cats. But these cats weren't ordinary warriors. They were the warriors that every kit was told of; the great big cat Clans of the past. The one that had spoken was a large lion with a brown mane.

"We are the remaining leader spirits of the big cat Clans. There are three of us from the Lake Clans, and four of us from the Winter Clans." A bronze tiger said. "I am from the Lake Clans. I am Bronzestar and the others are Sunstar and Goldenstar." Sunstar was a male lion with a brown mane and Goldenstar was a golden female leopard.

"I am from the Winter Clans." A white male lion said. "I am known as Palestar and the others are known as Cloudstar, Stripedstar, and Willowstar." Cloudstar was a very pale golden female cheetah with lighter spots, Stripedstar was a male white tiger, and Willowstar was a dark leopard with black spots.

"This war will not be lost. StarClan will help the Clans from this menace." Stripedstar said proudly.

"But what about the wolves?" Cloverspeckle asked worriedly.

"You didn't let us finish. We and the rest of the remaining spirits of our Clans will fight against the wolves." Palestar growled. Optimus' optics widened; the great spirits of the big cat Clans would help?

"Thank you…" Optimus saw, awestruck.

"No need to thank us; we'd like to keep the Clans alive, ourselves." Willowstar said quietly. The seven big cats started to fade.

"Wait!" Optimus jumped to his paws, but the big cats had already disappeared. He turned and looked at Cloverspeckle. Optimus noticed that the world around him was starting to fade.

"You must return to the Clans." Cloverspeckle hissed. "You are the only one that can rescue Icestar. She's lost one mate, she doesn't need to die thinking another is dead. StarClan will fight beside you, along with the Tribe's ancestors, the Tribe of Endless hunting." With that, the StarClan tortishell faded completely, and Optimus found himself back in the barn, the other cats staring at him worriedly.

"Optimus, are you alright?" Ratchet asked cautiously.

"We must return to the Clans." Optimus ordered.

"I hate to disagree, but the Clans will be slaughtered if we return." Ironhide objected. Optimus turned around to face the gray tom, eyes sparking.

"The Clans will be slaughtered if we don't return! I just received a vision, and it showed me that the Decepticats have an army as big as ten Clans." The blue and red tom hissed.

" But there are only nine Clans…" Prowl said fearfully.

"No, there are now thirteen Clans. All the Lake Clans turned against the Decepticats except for AuroraClan." Optimus mewed.

"Then, what's the problem?" Sideswipe growled.

"The Decepticats also have the evil spirits of the past; the Clan cats that have been sentenced to the Dark Forest and thirst for revenge against the living Clans." The other cats gasped.

"Then what use will just a few of us be?" Blurr asked quickly, eyes wide.

"StarClan themselves and the Tribe of Rushing Water's ancestors, the Tribe of Endless Hunting, will fight with us. But we alone are no match for the other parts of the legions the Decepticats have." Optimus answered.

"…What do you mean?" Ratchet growled.

"The Decepticats have recruited wolves. Live wolves and the wolves of the past who hate the Clans with a burning passion." Optimus said gravely.

"Then it truly is the end of the Clans…" Jolt mewled.

"No, it is not. In the vision, seven leaders appeared to me. They had been past leaders of the big cats Clans." This immediately got the others' attention. Even though none of them had been born in a Clan, they had all grown up with the tales of huge cats bigger than wolves that lived in groups far back before any Prime's had come into existence.

"What did they say?" Springer asked quietly.

"They said they will help us as well. They want the Clans to be kept alive." Optimus brought himself to his full height. "We will have the strength of StarClan and the big cat Clans on our side."

"I couldn't help but overhear." Optimus turned as Diesel padded up.

"In the mountains, there is a group of cats. They don't have a Clan, but they said they live near a Tribe. I think they live near the Tribe you mentioned. And I think they can help you." Diesel said, ears perked. "I can ask them. I've got friends there."

"You'd do that?" Optimus asked, surprised.

"Of course. Any friend of us is a friend of theirs. Come on, Wheat. It will only take us till sundown." Diesel said, whisking around and running out of the barn, Wheat following.

"What will we do when we get back?" Jazz asked.

"We'll head to IceClan camp." Optimus said, and then sat down and waited for the two barn cats to get back.

_*Icestar P.O.V.*_

Icestar stood over Bearpaw, bearing her teeth and the stranger in her prison. The pitch black cat snarled at her, his fangs dripping blood before he leapt at her. The black tom threw Icestar against the wall and bit into Bearpaw's throat, crushing the apprentice's windpipe.

"_No!" _Icestar howled.

Icestar jumped as she woke from her nightmare. She panted, looking around, and saw her son safe beside her. The leader sighed; she had been having nightmares ever since she saw the ghost of her father. Icestar had thought that she had seen the last of her father when he had died when she was deputy. She was wrong. The black and white she-cat shuddered, before curling around Bearpaw to comfort herself. She was startled awake when Bearpaw whimpered and trembled. Icestar nosed her son awake.

"Bearpaw, what's wrong?" Icestar asked her son, concerned.

"I had a bad dream." The brown tabby pressed his face into Icestar's side, and what remained of his ears was laid flat against his head.

"What happened?" Icestar asked softly. Bearpaw sniffled before going on.

"I had a dream that Father died… and you did, too…" Bearpaw said, his remaining eye wide and scared.

"Bearpaw, we will get out of this. I will not die, do not worry. And Sunblaze is watching over you in StarClan. And our ancestors will protect us." Icestar licked her son's forehead, and her action calmed him. The apprentice laid back down and went to sleep, Icestar watching her son before dosing off herself.

_*In StarClan*_

Whenever Sunblaze could find time away from training to fight against the Dark Forest, he would try to see Icestar through the powers of StarClan. He was surprised and shocked when he managed to see where his living mate was. His soft amber eyes hardened in anger and fury when he saw the black and white she-cat he had loved being held prisoner by the very same cats that had caused his death. And let alone what some monster had done to his son. Sunblaze watched as he saw Icestar comfort Bearpaw by saying that Sunblaze would watch over them and protect them. Sunblaze had known his fate for some while, and sighed, turning away from the heart-breaking scene.

_*Optimus P.O.V.*_

"This is where the Tribe cats were staying. We split up here." Optimus said. The leader of the group of cats from the mountains, Stone, nodded before taking his patrol of fighting cats in the direction Optimus pointed out. Optimus then turned and sprinted down the somewhat steep trail out of the mountains where he and the other Autocats had been taken to so they could escape the Clans. The only reason they survived was because some Decepticats had been ordered to kill them in the mountain pass, but the Decepticats had distracted the wolves, and were killed instead.

His heart twisted as he thought of Icestar, and he made his paws move faster over the terrain, anxious to share his news with the rest of the Clans. As they entered IceClan territory, Optimus picked up the faint scent of smoke and ash. Further into the territory, nearer to the camp, the forest trees and plants turned burnt and ash floated through the air from the tree leaves. Optimus slowed his pace, and the acrid scent of ash filled his nose. He led his Autocats through the entrance of the IceClan camp, and his eyes widened in shock and horror.

The camp was burnt, the grass and bushes covered in ash, most of them leafless. The same was with the trees. His attention was caught when he saw a cat call his name.

"Optimus!?" Said tom turned his head and saw Wildfang, the IceClan deputy, staring at them with wide eyes. "Y-you're alive?" The deputy asked, shocked speechless.

"Yes, StarClan kept us safe. But what happened here?" Optimus asked. Wildfang's eyes narrowed, sparking with fury.

"Decepticats, that's what happened. The day you all left, a few of the Decepticats set fire to the camp. We all made it out safely, except for Icestar, who stayed behind. The Decepticats captured her." Wildfang's voice cracked.

"We'll get her back and win this war. But now, is there anything we can do?" Optimus offered.

"Yes, our medicine cats need help collected more herbs, the camp boundaries need to be reinforced, and our warriors are too tired to hunt. Would any of you mind helping the medicine cats and hunting?" Wildfang asked. Optimus nodded, and the Autocats started to help rebuild the camp and help the Clan cats.

_*Icestar P.O.V.*_

Icestar jerked awake when she felt something jab her in the side. She jumped to her paws to see the Decepticats' medicine cat, Knockout.

"They're moving to a new base camp today. Just thought you should know." The red tom stated before turning around and whisking out of the den. Icestar prodded Bearpaw awake.

"We'll be moving to a new camp, today." Icestar said gravely. Bearpaw nodded meekly. Icestar turned around to see one of the Decepticat spies poke his head in the den entrance.

"Come on; get your sorry tail out of there." He growled. Icestar hissed before getting Bearpaw to his paws, and both IceClan cats padded out of the den. Immediately a patrol of Decepticats surrounded Icestar and Bearpaw. Icestar hissed at them when they came to close, but Bearpaw stayed silent. Without a word, the patrol moved off, and Icestar squinted against the bright sun, and Icestar didn't speak for the whole way.

***Time Skip***

The base camp that Icestar and Bearpaw had been moved to was close to SleetClan territory, which lay beyond SnowClan territory. The walls of the camp were tall, smooth spires of stone, preventing any form of escape, and the entrance was heavily guarded. The small place where Icestar and Bearpaw were kept was surrounded by thistle and brambles bushes, too high for Icestar to jump over, and with sentries always placed around to watch. Icestar peered through the leaves surrounding her, and watched a small patrol of Decepticats sprint into the camp.

"The wolves and Dark Forest are on their way to the Clan territories." One of them reported.

"Excellent. The era of the Clans shall end tonight." Icestar heard Megatron growl. Icestar shrank back in horror. There was no way for Icestar to tell any of the Clans what was going to happen… they would be totally unprepared. Knowing that there was a small chance of managing to connect with StarClan, Icestar curled up and screwed her eyes shut.

The IceClan leader found herself in a sunlit glade, and in front of her stood the amber eyed tom she had wanted to see.

"Sunblaze!" Icestar darted towards the tom, nuzzling him quickly. "You must tell the Clans that the Decepticats and Dark Forest are attacking tonight." The news Icestar shared made Sunblaze's eyes widen in horror, and then he nodded.

"Thank you, Icestar. And do not worry. StarClan, all Clans combined, will fight alongside you." Though Icestar was comforted by his words, it did not ease her worry of the threat of the wolves. "Stay safe, Icestar." The golden tabby mewed, and the dream faded.

_*Optimus P.O.V.*_

Optimus padded into the camp with Prowl and Jazz. There had been no sign of intruders around the borders, which was comforting yet suspicious at the same time. Prowl walked off to report to Wildfang, and Jazz walked in the direction of the warriors' den. Optimus was about to follow when he heard a voice.

"_Optimus!" _The voice hissed. Said red and blue tom turned around to see the faint outline of a golden warrior.

"Sunblaze?" Optimus mewed quietly. The red and blue tom looked around, but no other cat had noticed the StarClan warrior.

"_I have a message from Icestar. The Decepticats are making their move, along with the Dark Forest and the wolves. You must warn the other Clans. I will tell the rest of StarClan and the big cat Clans. The base camp where Icestar is being kept along with Bearpaw is just past SnowClan borders." _Sunblaze ordered before fading away. Optimus nodded, and turned around and sprinted to Wildfang.

"Wildfang! The Decepticats are making their move. They are going to attack sometime later this night!" Optimus growled.

"What?" Wildfang hissed. The deputy then jumped up onto the Ice Rock and let out the yowl that summoned the Clan. "IceClan, the Decepticats are making their move! We must warn the other Clans and prepare!" Wildfang yowled. The Clan answered with howls of anger and shock.

"Hollyleaf, you shall go and warn the Lake Clans. Rockpath, Shadestare, and Splotchfur, you'll split up and tell the other Winter Clans. Go, now!" Wildfang ordered. The four she-cats nodded and ran out of the camp as fast as their paws could carry them.

"I want all warriors and apprentices ready to fight! We will win this war!" Wildfang snarled to the rest of the Clan cats. The warriors and apprentices let out fierce howls. "The queens, elders, and kits shall stay in the rock tunnels underneath the Ice Rock." Wildfang jumped down, and immediately the Clan sprang into action. Optimus quickly walked over to Wildfang.

"Wildfang, I was also told of where Icestar and Bearpaw are being kept." The deputy's eyes widened, and then narrowed.

"Alright, choose four other cats to go with you. May StarClan light your path, Optimus." The brown tabby said quickly, before turning away to face and organize the rest of the cats into battle patrols. The red and blue tom sprinted over to the Autocats.

"I was told by one of the StarClan warriors where Icestar and Bearpaw are being kept. I need four others to go with and help me get them back." Optimus growled.

"I'll go." Ironhide jumped to his paws. His daughter, Lightningkit, sat by his paws, and was picked up by Chromia.

"Be careful." Chromia murmured.

"I'll go as well." Ratchet offered.

"We'll go as well." Jazz and Bumblebee stood up.

"Alright, I'll lead the way." Optimus turned around and sprinted out of IceClan camp and in the direction of the gorge.

_*Icestar P.O.V.*_

Icestar paced worriedly back and forth, tail tip twitching. Bearpaw sat off to the side, watching his mother cautiously. The IceClan leader frequently looked through the bramble leaves, and noticed each time there were less and less Decepticats each time. When Icestar looked once more, she noticed there were only two cats left in the camp besides herself and Bearpaw; the two sentries. Icestar turned around and walked back to Bearpaw. She lifted her nose to the air to make sure that there were no other Decepticats near, and caught a faint scent on the breeze. Her heart nearly stopped as she recognized it. But Icestar shook her head. It couldn't be, he was dead. Making her way back over to Icestar, the she-cat leaned down to her son to look him in the eye.

"Bearpaw, there are only two other cats in the camp. We will make our escape attempt now. I'll fight them off, while you run." Icestar growled as quietly as she could. The mottled brown tabby tom nodded and narrowed his remaining eye. Icestar crept up to the small hole in the brambles, and Icestar poked her head out. Luckily, StarClan was watching out for her. Both sentries were farther into the center of the camp. Icestar quickly stalked the rest of the way over to the sentries. When she was close enough to leap, she left out a fearsome battle cry and launched herself at the sentries. Both toms whipped around in surprised, and Icestar crashed into the one of her left. The tom let out a squeal of surprise, and Icestar slashed her paws down his face, earning another squeal. She felt fangs grab her scruff, and the jaws that were holding her threw Icestar onto the ground. The IceClan leader jumped to her paws and met the other tom blow for blow. Whirling around and kicking the second sentry, she turned to the first, which had snuck up behind her. Icestar swept her claws through the air, and her claws dug into the throat of the first sentry she attacked. The tom fell onto the ground, twitching.

"No! You'll pay for that!" The other sentry snarled. The remaining sentry leapt at her, and Icestar ducked, scoring her claws down the tom's belly. The tom shrieked, but turned around and still fought. Icestar was about to deal the killing blow when she was thrown across the clearing. Jumping shakily to her paws, she saw another tom. She recognized this one as Bonecrusher. The brown tom snarled, and Icestar extended her claws and sprinted back out to the two toms. She slammed into the second sentry, and clamped her jaws in his throat, quickly ending him. Turning around to fight Bonecrusher, Icestar was horrified to see Bearpaw dodging the tom's attacks.

"Bearpaw!" Icestar yowled. The black and white leader jumped at Bonecrusher and bit down hard on his should, distracting him from Bearpaw. "Bearpaw, go! That's an order!" Icestar snarled. The apprentice still stood there, unsure of what to do. "Go, _now, _Bearpaw!" Icestar roared. Icestar's son finally turned and ran out of the camp and into the forest. In Icestar's moment of distraction, she was thrown away from Bonecrusher, and the brown tom charge. Icestar dodged to the side and scored her claws down the tom's flank. But the brown tom was a well seasoned warrior; Bonecrusher, instead of jumping towards Icestar, he jumped beside her. Icestar, not expecting, also jumped to the side, and Bonecrusher slammed into her. Icestar immediately snapped at his neck, and grabbed his throat in her jaws, but not before Bonecrusher could do the same. Icestar snapped her teeth through Bonecrusher's neck, and before the tom's grip slackened, cut his fangs through Icestar's throat as well. Bonecrusher died first, and Icestar pushed away the brown tom's body. She scrambled to her paws, wobbling, before her legs buckled, and she slumped onto the ground.

_*Optimus P.O.V.*_

Optimus lead the way through the forest beyond SnowClan territory, the shadows hiding his patrol.

"Where are all the Decepticons?" Ratchet muttered.

"Not here." Ironhide answered back.

"Hush, I hear something." Optimus snapped. In the distance, he could hear branches breaking. Optimus growled lowly, and was prepared to spring at the cat that jumped out of the bushes, but he caught himself.

"Bearpaw?" Optimus said, shocked. The brown apprentice whirled around, and jumped towards them.

"You're alive?" He asked.

"Yes. We're fine-" Ratchet stopped mid-sentence when Bearpaw turned to look at him. The gaping hole in his face where his eye should have been, and the missing triangular shapes of ears on his head shocked the other toms.

"What happened to you?" Ironhide said, slack-jawed. Bearpaw narrowed his remaining amber eye.

"I went to look for Icestar and got caught by Decepticons… one of them, Icestar said his name was Starscream, he said that he would punish me for spying, and clawed out my eye and ears…" The apprentice murmured. Optimus hissed, while the rest of his patrol did the same.

"Starscream'll pay for this…" Jazz growled.

"He'll pay later. Bearpaw, where is Icestar?" Optimus asked.

"She's in the clearing over there! She was fighting some sentries and she needs help!" Bearpaw immediately turned around.

"Wait, Bearpaw. Ironhide, Jazz, Bumblebee, and I will go. You stay here with Ratchet so he can check your eye." Optimus ordered, before turning and heading in the direction Bearpaw had come from. The red and blue tom skirted the edge of the stone walls, and rand around the entrance of the camp. Optimus ran through the bushes first, and was met with the sight of three bodies on the ground.

"Decepticats." Jazz growled. The mutilated throats were still bleeding, and Optimus shuddered.

"Is that Bonecrusher?" Ironhide asked. Optimus looked at the dead body of the large brown tom and growled. The red and blue tom looked beyond the bodies of the dead Decepticats, and saw a huddled shape on the ground past them. Optimus walked towards it slowly, and recognized the black and white fur of Icestar. He broke into a run, but stopped dead in his tracks when he looked closer. The she-cats fur was dusty and caked with blood. And on the ground, there was a trail of blood. Optimus gently rolled Icestar onto her side, and jumped back as he saw the torn throat of Icestar.

"No…" He whispered, the other Autocats gathering around to look at what he found.


	23. Chapter 23

**I know, it's been a while. A friend of mine was in the hospital, and then my math grade got low, so I've been trying to get that up. :/**

_*In StarClan*_

"Cloverspeckle! I must go back!" Icestar hissed desperately.

"You will. This was not your last life, and you will live again. But before you go, I must speak with you." Cloverspeckle murmured, looking past Icestar.

"What is it?" Icestar asked, tilting her head to the side.

"Long ago, when your father attacked the camp, and my body disappeared, there was something no one knew about." Cloverspeckle started.

"What do you mean?" Icestar narrowed her eyes in confusion.

"I never died at the battle. I was held prisoner in your father's new Clan. I managed to escape, and I had two other kits that no one knew about but me and their father." Icestar's heart nearly stopped at this news: Her mother had never died in battle? And Icestar had two other siblings?

"What-" Icestar was cut off as the ground beneath her trembled.

"The war will start very soon! You must go now, Icestar! The Clans depend on you!" Cloverspeckle hissed. The StarClan forest faded to black around Icestar, and Icestar found herself in her body again,

_*Optimus P.O.V.*_

"She's… she's dead?" Ironhide said, slack-jawed. Optimus hadn't spoken since he had found Icestar; he refused to believe it.

"Was she on her last life?" Ratchet padded up. Bearpaw was kept back so he wouldn't have to see Icestar. Optimus was finally about to answer when he saw Icestar's eye lids twitch. He jumped back as the white and black she-cat jumped to her paws unsteadily.

"We must move, now!" Icestar hissed.

"Icestar, you have to wait. You just died!" Ratchet said, eyes wide.

"He's right, Icestar. You have to rest-" Icestar cut Optimus off.

"There is no time for waiting! We must rally the Clans. The war is now!" Icestar sprinted between the toms, running past a bewildered Bearpaw, leaving the rest of the toms to follow.

"Icestar, Wildfang has already sent out a few warriors to tell the rest of the Clans." Optimus ran beside Icestar.

"Good. We'll head back to camp then." Icestar growled, ears pinned back as she lengthened her stride. The leader soon pulled ahead of the patrol, running as fast as she could. Optimus picked up his speed, following the she-cat, and after running over the territories, he ran into camp soon after Icestar. The black and white she-cat was immediately surrounded by her Clan, each cat shocked and ecstatic that she was back. The black and white she-cat pushed her way through the throng of cats.

"Cats of IceClan! Yes, I have returned. But we will talk of that later. Now, we must prepare ourselves of for battle!" Icestar yowled.

"Icestar. Shadestare, Rockpath, Hollyleaf, and Splotchfur went and warned the Clans. The queens and elders will stay under the tunnel complex underneath your den, along with the other Clan's queens and elders. We will confront the Decepticats at the plateau where the Battle of the Gorge was held. When the enemy comes into sight, we will send Shadestare, Hollyleaf, Splotchfur, and Blurr to warn the other Clans." Wildfang stood up on her paws, claws extended.

"Thank you, Wildfang." Icestar nodded to her deputy before turning back to her Clan. "IceClan, tonight is our darkest hour. I cannot say that we will win, and I can't say that we will all survive. But I can say that we will fight like StarClan, and fight even harder than StarClan!" Icestar spoke loudly, the Clan yowling their agreement. "It has been an honor to lead you through the moons. As my possibly last command, join me and fight! Fight for freedom and justice! Fight for the chance of our kits to live in a forest where there is no threat from Decepticats!" Icestar yowled. The cats of IceClan jumped to their paws, and the roar of the Clan caused the birds in the forest to take flight. Icestar jumped down, and all warriors and apprentices thronged around her, ready to be taken into battle.

"Jetfire, help the queens get their kits into the tunnel complex. You and a few of the other elders who can fight will wait for the other Clans' kits and elders to get here." Optimus heard Wildfang growl. The old tom nodded, and then turned to the elders behind him. Optimus ran over to stand beside Icestar at the exit of camp.

"Wildfang, take the Clan to where the Battle of the Gorge was." Icestar ordered her deputy. Wildfang nodded, and the cats that would fight followed the deputy out into the forest. Icestar turned to Optimus.

"Will your Autocats fight beside us?" She asked. Optimus nodded.

"Of course." The red and blue tom said. "Jazz, take the rest and follow Wildfang's patrol." Optimus ordered. The short gray tom nodded, and the rest of the cats rand out into the forest. Icestar turned to follow, but sighed, and turned back around to face Optimus.

"This may possibly be my last battle, or yours. Maybe for both of us. I just want you to know that I love you." Icestar said boldly.

"I love you, too." Optimus mewed quietly. Icestar nodded, and then turned around and ran into the forest, following the tail left by the patrol.

_*Icestar P.O.V.*_

Icestar soon caught up with the patrol, and ran up to stand by Wildfang. The deputy stood at the crest of the hill overlooking the battle grounds, the moon light sending an eerie blue wash over the landscape. In the faint distance, Icestar could see the large groups that made up the other Clans, all placed around in a semi circle that faced the gorge. The enemy was not sighted yet, but the Clans cats were tense with anxiousness at the coming battle. Icestar's ear strained to pick up any sound announcing the arrival of the enemy, and was caught off guard when she saw the bushes beyond the gorge rustling, dark shapes stalking out of the shadows.

"Wildfang?" Icestar said quietly.

"Yes?" Wildfang looked at her leader.

"It's been an honor to have you as my deputy." Icestar gazed at her friend proudly.

"It's been an honor, old friend." Wildfang looked back at Icestar, eyes sparking with defiance at the upcoming battle. Icestar nodded, and turned to face the cats.

"IceClan. The hour of war is near. Fight for your will to survive, and fight for the survivals of the Clans." Icestar said loudly. The cats of IceClan nodded, agreeing with their leader. "Shadestare, Hollyleaf, Splotchfur, and Rockpath. We depend on you to warn the other Clans now." Icestar turned to look at the four she-cats. They all nodded back at her, and Icestar watched them streak across the plateau, occasionally stopping as they met battle patrols. As Icestar watched the Decepticats slink through the shadows and leap over the gorge, Icestar peered among them and saw the legions of the Dark Forest.

"Mother?" Icestar looked down at Graypaw, who had come to stand beside her.

"What is it, Graypaw?" Icestar licked her son between the ears, but knew the action gave no comfort.

"I'm worried." The gray apprentice murmured.

"I know. So am I. But, Graypaw, promise me this. Promise me you and your siblings will stay together. Don't get separated. And no matter what happens to me, be strong." Icestar said to her son, looking him in the eyes. Graypaw nodded, but Icestar could still see the worry in his eyes.

"Clans! You still have the chance to surrender!" Icestar whirled around and spied Megatron on the nearer side of the gorge.

"Never!" Icestar jumped to her paws, and other leaders and Clans doing the same. Icestar growled furiously as she saw Scarredstar saunter up next to Megatron.

"Then it's your death!" The tom yowled, his voice echoing across the clearing.

"No, Scarredstar! It is your own death!" The Clan cats whirled around and looked at the distant hill. Legions upon legions of cats stood there, each one glowing with a white haze.

"StarClan! StarClan has come to help us!" One cat called, and the cheer was taken up by many others.

"You might have StarClan, but we have the Dark Forest." One Decepticat called. Icestar couldn't identify him, but neither did she care to.

"You and your legions are no match for us!" Wolfstar snarled from across the clearing.

"Maybe so, but do you have the spirits of wolves, and living wolves, on your side?" Icestar dug her claws into the ground to prevent herself from launching herself across the clearing. The Clans cats gasped, each cat quaking in fear.

"Icestar, we'll never survive this!" Wildfang hissed desperately Icestar's ear. Icestar was about to answer when a thunderous roar shook the clearing. Full of wonder and fear, the Clans cats turned to look beside StarClan. There, on the hill, were more spirits. Only, these legions were of the first Clans. The Big Cat Clans. Icestar's jaw dropped in awe, her eyes wide. Many of the Clan cats had the same reaction.

"You have been warned to leave the Clans alone, wolves!" A pale male lion stepped forward. One of the dark pelted wolves stepped forward.

"Palestar? Long time, no see." The wolf sneered, but in his eyes, even from the great distance, Icestar could see fear and uncertainty in his amber eyes.

"The Big Cat Clans?" Icestar heard one of her warriors gasp.

"You and your kind are not welcome here in the territories." A white tiger came to stand beside the lion named Palestar.

"We have brought our legions to fight alongside StarClan and the Clans. We will not be afraid to slaughter your kind." A golden lion snarled.

"Then, let it begin." Icestar tensed as Megatron hissed. The battle clearing was dead silence for a few moments. The silence was deafening, only to be broken by Icestar sounding the battle cry, the other Clans following suite. The Decepticats and Dark Forest spirits snarled, and the wolves howled. The big cats roared, their own battle cry drowning out the wolves and cats. Icestar lead her patrol down the slope, claws extended and fangs bared. The wolves charged first, and Icestar slightly faltered until she saw the big cats overtaking them. The Clans and StarClan followed the bag cats, and the Decepticats and Dark Forest warriors followed the wolves. And then, both sides of the war collided in what would be the biggest war in all of Clan history.


	24. Chapter 24

_*Icestar P.O.V.*_

Icestar leapt at the first enemy warrior she saw, snarling. The Decepticat tried to dodge, but the Icestar leader was too quick for the dark pelted warrior. Icestar slammed her paws on his head, dazing the tom, and boxed his ears, claws slashing them to shreds. Snapping her jaws down on the tom's neck, she cut off his air supply, and he quickly suffocated to death.

"Clan cats! Do not be afraid to kill!" She yowled, before diving back into the fray. Icestar just narrowly dodged a wolf snapping at her face. Icestar snarled and jumped onto the wolf's back, digging in her with back claws and ripping out chunks of fur. The wolf snapped its head around, and Icestar reared back and lost her balance. She landed unsteadily on the ground, and shook her head. She saw the wolf lunge at her face and braced herself, but reopened her eyes when the wolf's snarl was cut off. Icestar saw one of the lionesses of StarClan slam the wolf onto the ground, its neck snapping with a sickening crack. The lioness nodded to the IceClan leader before leaping at another wolf nearby. Whirling around, Icestar chose her next target, one of the Dark Forest live warriors. The warrior was a wiry black tom cat with glittering amber eyes. Icestar leapt at him, and the black tom snarled, claws out. Icestar was about to slash his face when a cat barged between them.

"Breezepelt!" The voice snarled. Icestar jumped backwards as a smoky gray tom cat wrestled with the one named Breezepelt. Before the smoky cat could think, Breezepelt leapt up and grabbed the other cat's throat in his jaws. Jumping forward to rescue the smoky gray tom cat, Icestar grabbed Breezepelt's scruff and threw him through the air, Breezepelt's body landing harshly on a rock. He didn't get up.

"Thank you, Icestar. The worthless excuse for a son betrayed us for the Dark Forest." The smoky tom spat. "My name's Crowfeather." Crowfeather dodged as a small Dark Forest cat leapt at him.

"No problem!" Icestar smacked the small cat out of the air. The Dark Forest spirit squealed as Icestar bit into his throat. Icestar jumped back in surprise as the cat's body disappeared.

"Guess they can die!" Crowfeather nodded once to Icestar before turning around and jumping back to fight beside one of the Lake Clan cats. Icestar hissed in pain as a cat slammed into her side, sending her skidding across the ground. The IceClan leader jumped to her paws to find the Decepticat she recognized as Spitfire. Spitfire smirked, and Icestar growled, fangs bared. The Decepticat leapt at her, and Icestar rose to meet the tom, ripping his ear with her fangs. Icestar turned on her paws and kicked the tom in the face. The tom snarled in rage, and slashed his paws across her face. Icestar hissed in pain, blinded by the blood pouring into her eyes. She felt herself thrown and pinned down, and Spitfire ducked his head to snap Icestar's neck. Bracing herself to lose one of her lives, Icestar screwed her eyes shut. Then, the weight disappeared. Icestar jumped to her paws to see Optimus tearing out Spitfire's throat.

"Thanks." Icestar panted. Optimus nodded before running back in to the fray. Icestar heard a horror filled squeak, and recognized it as Bearpaw's. Whirling around in a panic, Icestar saw her son off to the edge of the trees, Starscream walking in circles around him. Icestar shoved past the fighting cats in front of her, earning claws scored down her side. Finally breaking away from the fight, she charged towards Starscream. The tom has his back to her, unable to see the snarling leader. Icestar stopped momentarily as she heard his speak.

"Looks like Icestar isn't here to save you now. Let's see, you remind me of someone I once killed. What was his name? Brambleshade, was it?" Icestar's eyes widened in horror.

"You!" Icestar shrieked. Starscream whirled around just in time to see Icestar's claws in his face. Icestar bowled the tom over, clawing at any place she could reach. Icestar grabbed Starscream's scruff and slammed the tom into one of the tree trunks. Noticing the slight limp in Starscream's forleg, she remembered the fracture Icestar had given him before. Icestar snapped her fangs down on Starscream's leg, snapping it easily. The tom shrieked, and Icestar bit down on his face, ripping out his left eye. Using her front claws, she ripped the tom's ears off.

"I said you would get yours, Starscream!" Icestar picked up the second in command's scruff once again and threw him against a stone, his back breaking. Starscream slumped to the ground, blood pouring from his wounds. Icestar whirled around to face Bearpaw, who had run up beside his mother.

"Mother. That was awesome." Bearpaw said, eyes wide.

"Where are your siblings?" Icestar asked frantically. Bearpaw turned around to look at the fight, where Icestar saw her other kits fighting one of the Decepticats. Each apprentice was running around, distracting the tom with different moves, until the tom was finally exhausted and turned around and ran. "Go on, help them." Icestar commanded her son. The brown tabby tom nodded, and then sprinted off to join his siblings. Icestar turned back to the battle to see Ironhide being cornered by two toms twice his size. Seeing the grass through their paws, Icestar immediately snarled and prepared to leap to go help. But Icestar's kits saw them first, and the five apprentices ran and leapt at one of the warriors. The Dark Forest were momentarily were surprised as the band of apprentices, which gave Ironhide time to attack the one that wasn't being attacked by apprentices. The tom that Icestar's kits had attacked did not get up. Knowing that her kits would be alright, Icestar sprinted back into the battle. Icestar leapt at one unlucky Decepticat, slamming his face into the ground and biting his wind pipe. Jumping off the body, Icestar turned around to see Wildfang and Tigerstrike fighting a wolf, both cats snapping at the wolf's haunches. Icestar leapt up into the wolf's face and slashed its eyes, earning a howl of pain from the wolf. The three Clans cats jumped back as the Winter Clan lion leader, Palestar, slammed his paw into the wolf's face, the wolf's neck twisting unnaturally before snapping. The pale lion forced his way through the battle, picking up enemy cats with his jaws and throwing them out of his way. Icestar nodded to her deputy and her deputy's mate, before rushing past them farther into the battle. As she ran farther, Icestar saw more of the other Clan cats. Icestar momentarily glanced behind her, and ran straight into one of the enemy Dark Forest cats. She snarled, snapping her jaws down onto his shoulder, the tom hissing in pain before throwing her off and slashing her side. Icestar gasped in pain, blood pouring down her side, but gritted her teeth.

Icestar leapt at the tom and shoved him into one of the Lake Clan cats, who disposed of him while the Dark Forest cat's back was turned. The IceClan leader jumped up onto a small rock that gave her a vantage point over t he whole battle. All around, the glow of StarClan cats and the outlines of big cats and wolves stuck out among the sea of wrestling cats. Each side of the battle was evenly matched. Jumping back down into the battle, Icestar watched to three toms fighting together. All three were dark brown tabbies, and Icestar listened in on their conversation.

"So you're finally leader, Bramblestar?" The largest tabby snarled, his amber eyes flashing. "You're welcome."

"I got to this position on my own, TIgerstar! Nothing you could ever have done could have gotten me leader!" The somewhat smaller brown tabby growled.

"If you want to believe that, then suit yourself." The other tabby tom with ice blue eyes hissed. Knowing that the leader could fight but was unfairly matched, Icestar dove up next to Bramblestar and smacked Hawkfrost away.

"Icestar!?" Tigerstar snarled. "I see you have your father's fighting skills." The large tabby tom growled. Icestar snarled, and as Tigerstar was distracted, Bramblestar launched himself at the other tom, biting down on his shoulder. Icestar continued to batter Hawkfrost, when suddenly, Bramblestar was thrown into both cats. The IceClan leader jumped to her paws, whirling around to see a bright orange StarClan cat with bright green eyes.

"Firestar!" Tigerstar roared, and the brown tabby charged the tom named Firestar, who quickly dodged and scored his claws down Tigerstar's side as he ran past.

"This ends now, Tigerstar!" Firestar snarled as he snapped his teeth in front of Tigerstar's fangs. Icestar swatted Hawkfrost away as he tried to jump her, and Bramblestar leapt on the other tabby, biting his throat until Hawkfrost stopped twitching. The Dark Forest warrior's body faded.

Icestar tripped as two fighting cats rolled in front of her. Icestar was suddenly nudged to her paws and turned around to see Sunblaze.

"Sunblaze!" Icestar nuzzled her mate quickly.

"Come on, Cloverspeckle needs to speak with you." The StarClan tom turned around and Icestar followed him, running through the battle to the edge of the fighting. There, Icestar saw her mother and two other cats Icestar recognized as Breakdown and Knockout of the Decepticats. Icestar snarled and ran faster, running ahead of Sunblaze and leapt in front of Cloverspeckle, fangs bared at the two toms.

"Icestar, calm down." Cloverspeckle stood up and stood between the three cats.

"Mother, they're Decepticats!" Icestar hissed.

"Mother? I think you're mistaken, she's our mother." Knockout mewed disdainfully.

"No, Knockout. She's correct." Icestar and the other two toms stared at Cloverspeckle with wide eyes.

"What?" Icestar, Breakdown, and Knockout said at the same time.

"Icestar, I told you I had two other kits after I was captured. These are your half-brothers." The brown tabby she-cat said, motioning with her tail to the two toms. "Before you ask, they were forced to be Decepticats." Icestar looked the toms over, eyes slightly narrowed before she nodded.

"All right. What do you want me to do?" Icestar asked.

"Well, we want to join one of the Clans. We hate the Decepticats." Breakdown spoke up.

"Alright, you may join IceClan, if there's still a Clan to return to after this." Icestar mewed darkly.

"Take care of them, Icestar." Cloverspeckle mewed. Icestar nodded once more to her mother, before turning back to Sunblaze, who spoke up.

"One last fight together, for old time's sake?" The golden tom stood to his paws.

"Of course." Icestar ran off with Sunblaze, leaving her mother and two brothers behind. Icestar changed direction and ran to her left, diving back into the fight, Sunblaze following. Forcing her way near the center of the fight, Icestar spied Megatron. The she-cat snarled and leapt at the gray tom, distracting him from the Lake Clan cat he had been fighting. Sunblaze dodged in front of Icestar, throwing the tom back with a swipe from his paw.

"You!? I thought I killed you!" Megatron snarled to Sunblaze. Icestar's eyes widened in horror, and then they narrowed to slits. Letting out a battle cry, Icestar slashed her paws across Megatron's face, drawing blood. The gray tom grabbed Icestar's scruff and threw her some distance away. Dazed, Icestar jumped to her paws and let out a shriek when she saw Megatron slash Sunblaze's throat.

"No!" Icestar howled, running and shoving Megatron away. Sunblaze laid on the ground, eyes full of pain. "Sunblaze, no!" Icestar nudged the golden tom, hoping to get him to his paws.

"Icestar, stop… This was and always has been my fate…" Sunblaze coughed. The StarClan tom started to fade away, and Icestar stared in horror at the spit where Sunblaze's body had faded away to nothing. Icestar stood stock still, the battle raging around her. Icestar's eyes narrowed to slits, and Icestar whirled around only to find Megatron had disappeared. Snarling in pure fury and anguish, Icestar found the nearest enemy cat she should and ripped its throat out before the cat could even squeal. Icestar tore through the battle, killing any enemy cat she could out of rage and vengeance for Sunblaze. Icestar whirled around on her paws and saw, in the distance, a faint smoke cloud rising from the forest. The leader of IceClan knew immediately what she had to do to end the battle, and took off through the battle, running towards the source of the fire.

_*Optimus P.O.V.*_

Optimus slashed the Dark Forest cat's face, sending the enemy cat reeling back into the throng of cats. The blue and red tom ducked as one of the Decepticats leapt at him, only for the Decepticat to land in front of Ratchet, who slashed the tom's eyes and sent the tom running. Both toms were at the edge of the battle, near the trees.

"They never seem to stop!" Ratchet hissed as he kicked on tom trying to creep up behind him. Optimus whirled around and sank his fangs into the shoulder of one of the Dark Forest cats, and scored his claws down the enemy cat's throat.

"At least the only bodies I've seen so far are of Dark Forest and Decepticats!" Optimus and Ratchet dodged out of the way as a wolf sprinted past, a StarClan leopard following it.

"They might have wolves, but at least we have the ancient Clans." Ratchet slammed his paw down on a passing Decepticat, the cat's spine snapping from the force. Optimus would have answered if another cat hadn't slammed into him. Optimus turned on his paws to see Megatron. The leader of the Autocats snarled and leapt at the gray tom.

"Don't you ever give up?" Megatron threw Optimus off him, claws extended.

"Not when the Clans are at stake!" Optimus snarled.

"I'm taking that as a no." Megatron dodged as Optimus leapt at him. "Tell me, brother, have you ever wondered what would happen to a StarClan cat if they died? Where would their spirit go?" Optimus turned to face Megatron, confused. "I guess Sunblaze found out." Megatron shrugged. Optimus realized what Megatron was hinting at, and his eyes widened in horror. "Too bad he couldn't tell Icestar, even though she was there to see it." Optimus snarled and struck Megatron's face with a paw, slashing at the gray tom's eyes. Megatron snarled and shoved Optimus back, biting the blue and red tom's shoulder. But Megatron was shoved away as Ratchet came to Optimus's rescue, forcing the gray tom back. Megatron narrowed his red eyes and grabbed the medic's scruff, throwing him against a rock. Optimus raced over to his friend and helped him to his paws, only to jump as he saw what else lay by the rock. Nearly unrecognizable from the blood staining his pelt and the wounds his body bore, Optimus recognized Starscream. Megatron stalked forward, but stopped when he saw the body of his second in command.

"Who did this!?" Megatron snarled. Ironhide limped up to Optimus and Ratchet, standing beside them.

"You mean, you didn't see Icestar maul him? You must be deaf; Starscream's screams of pain were loud enough to hear in the Lake Clan territories." The dark gray Autocats smirked. Megatron snarled, and Optimus felt slight smugness for the fate of the Decepticats' second in command.

"I might be staying away from Icestar until the end of the battle after seeing that." Ratchet muttered. Megatron growled and ran back off into the battle.

"Speaking of Icestar, where is she?" Optimus asked, worried for the leader. Ironhide was about to answer when said she-cat suddenly ran past them, off into the forest.

"Where is she going?" Ratchet stared after the leader, confused.

"I'll follow." Optimus said, turning on his paws and rushing after the leader. The IceClan leader was running at a much faster pace than Optimus had ever seen her run, and he soon fell behind. Finally, Optimus came to the edge of a clearing, and cringed as he smelled smoke in the air. Brushing past a wall of ferns, he saw Icestar look up at him, a branch in her mouth. At the end of the branch, a fire burned.

"Icestar, what are you doing?" Optimus asked cautiously.

"It's time the Decepticats found out what happens when you mess with the Clans." Icestar snarled, eyes sparking darkly. She ran past the red and blue tom, the branch still clenched in her jaws. Optimus followed Icestar toe edge of the clearing, catching up with her as they came to the battle.

"What do you plan on doing with that?" Optimus dipped his head to the branch.

"My revenge." Icestar growled, leaping up onto the edge of a rock ledge. She placed the branch down between her paws, and she let out a yowl that echoed through the clearing. The big cats, which picked up one what Icestar was doing, roared themselves, and the whole clearing fell silent. Optimus stood beside Icestar and looked into the crowd.

"Decepticats, tell me! Where are your leaders! If they aren't cowards, then they'll come and fight me!" Icestar snarled. The throng of cats broke in the middle, and Megatron and Sentinel Prime walked through the break in the cats, heads held high.

"You really believe you can defeat us in a fight?" Sentinel Prime growled. Megatron turned around and faced the other cats.

"Decepticats and Dark Forest warriors, continue fighting on!" The gray tom snarled, the throng of cats turned on one another again. One of the cats broke through the fighting, and Optimus watched as Icestar force in temporary fear at the sight of the tom.

"I would like to fight alongside Sentinel and Megatron, if you don't mind." The scarred gray tom hissed.

"I'll fight beside Icestar." Optimus stepped up. Megatron rolled his eyes.

"Fine then. You can both die!" Scarredstar leapt at Icestar, claws extended.


	25. Chapter 25

_*Icestar P.O.V.*_

Icestar snarled as her father shoved her backwards, his paws slashing her face. Icestar pushed the large tom away from her, shaking head to clear the dizziness of it.

"Is that all you've got? A kit of mine would have better fighting skills." Scarredstar snarled. Icestar growled lowly; the IceClan leader was tired, but that jab from Scarredstar gave her more energy to fight. Leaping at the scarred tom, Icestar scored her claws over one of his eyes. Scarredstar howled in pain, but quickly bit Icestar's shoulder and threw her away. Icestar scrambled to her paws, legs quaking. The she-cat glanced in Optimus's direction and saw him fighting both Megatron and Sentinel Prime.

"Scarredstar, this ends _now!" _Icestar shrieked. Icestar whirled around and grabbed the still-burning stick in her jaws and swung around to face Scarredstar. In her rage, Icestar flew at Scarredstar, pinning him to the ground and jabbing her head down. Scarredstar let out a scream of pain; the burning branch had pierced his throat and broke in two. Icestar jumped back as the tom let out an agonizing scream as his fur caught fire, blood burbling out of his throat and mouth, eyes wide in horror and pain. Scarredstar got to his paws, whirling around for any source of water. Finally realizing his fate, the tom turned back to Icestar and stood stock still. A strong gust of wind blew, and Scarredstar's body disappeared into ashes, and then the ashes disappeared as the Dark Forest leader dissolved. Icestar panted and saw Optimus and even Megatron and Sentinel Prime staring at her with wide eyes full of horror. Megatron was the first one to shake off the trance of the horrific sight, and launched himself at Icestar. The black and white she-cat rose up to meet him, enraged by the scene of Megatron killing Sunblaze forever. Icestar let out a battle cry, grabbing Megatron's outstretched forepaw and yanking it, pulling the limb out of its socket. Megatron let out a howl of pain, and Icestar dove forward, driving her fangs into Megatron's throat. Even though Icestar could taste blood, she strengthened her hold on the Decepticat leader's throat until she yanked back her head, leaving a gaping, dark whole in Megatron's throat. The gray tom's blood quickly soaked the grass, creating a large puddle that lapped at Icestar's paws. Icestar whirled back to face Optimus to help, but he didn't need it. Her heart lurched as she saw Optimus fighting with Sentinel, each tom evenly matched. Sentinel smacked Optimus, throwing the younger tom back some distance. The older tom prepared to slash Optimus's throat, and Icestar prepared to leap to the blue and red tom's side to help when someone else beat her to it. Graypaw rammed his head into Sentinel's shoulder, throwing him off balance. Graypaw reared on his hind legs and slashed his claws across Sentinel's face, earning a howl of pain from the older tom.

"Am I still inadequate, Sentinel?" Graypaw snarled, using a paw to hit Sentinel across the face one more time. Graypaw's attack had given Optimus time to jump to his paws, and the Graypaw jumped away as Optimus charged his old mentor.

"No, Optimus!" Sentinel Prime gasped as Optimus slashed the older tom's throat, the betrayer's eyes flashing once before they grew faded. Icestar panted, sharing a look with Optimus.

"It's… it's over…" Optimus gasped. Icestar nodded before limping back up onto the rock. Letting out a battle roar, the clearing grew silent for the second time since it began.

"Decepticats, Dark Forest warriors!" Icestar snarled into the silent air. "Your leaders are dead! Be gone with you all! This was a war you could never have won! Leave this place, and never return!" Icestar yowled into the air. The Decepticats and Dark Forest warriors turned and ran, the Dark Forest warriors disappearing into thin air, and the Decepticats scattering, most of them struck down by the Clan cats.

"Wolf packs! Your leaders are also gone! Leave, while we still give you a chance of mercy!" Palestar roared, the other ancient big cats following. The wolves ran, the spirits of wolves disappearing like the Dark Forest warriors, the others running back to their homes in the mountain. The Lake Clan and Winter Clan cats, the cats of StarClan, and the ancients of the big cat Clans cheered. Their victory cry was louder than any that had ever been heard, or any that would be heard again. Icestar whirled around as there was a loud rustling in the bushes, but relaxed when she recognized the medicine cats of the Clans running forward to help the cats. The medicine cats split up around the sides of the rock Icestar stood on, each running towards the most injured cats they could find. Icestar jumped down from the rock she stood on, but her legs could barely keep her strength. Optimus rushed over to her as Icestar lay on the ground, trying to catch her breath.

"I'll be fine. Go help the others." Icestar stood up shakily. The red and blue tome looked hesitant. "That's an order, Optimus." Icestar teased. The blue and red tom nodded before running over to Ratchet, who was inspecting a warrior of SnowClan. Glancing around the blood soaked clearing, Icestar saw the bodies of many fallen warriors, and she shuddered. Icestar laid her head on her paws and closed her eyes, listening to the cries of help from around her.

_*Optimus P.O.V.*_

Optimus dashed over to Sideswipe, who was being helped to his paws by his brother, Sunstreaker.

"Are you alright?" Optimus asked.

"Yeah, shoulder just got wrenched, is all." The silver tom hissed as he put weight on his foreleg.

"Alright; go see one of the medicine cats when you can." Optimus nodded to the two brothers and walked on, nodding to other cats getting to their paws. All around, he saw StarClan and big cat Clan cats. The blue and red tom turned around as he heard the deep voices of the ancient Clans.

"We are honored to have fought alongside you all. But it is now time that we return to our own StarClan home." Palestar raised his head proudly.

"Words cannot express how thankful we are to you. The Clans would have been slaughtered." Optimus recognized Cloverspeckle.

"Of course; it was our duty to protect the Clans." Goldenstar rumbled. Then, the ancient Clan cats faded from the clearing, some of the white glow in the clearing faded. Optimus was about to move on through the clearing when he heard pawsteps run up behind him. The tom turned around to see Cloverspeckle beside him.

"Is Icestar alright?" The brown tabby asked worriedly.

"Yes, she's just fine. Wounded, but nothing serious." Optimus answered back. The StarClan she-cat sighed in relief, but then a look of sadness came upon her. "What is it?"

"Have you heard what's happened to Sunblaze?" Cloverspeckle asked quietly. Optimus nodded; the fate of the golden tom was a horrific one.

"Do you know of any other StarClan cats that befell that same fate?" The red and blue tom asked; Cloverspeckle shook her head.

"I must be going now; the leaders of StarClan are meeting in the middle of the clearing." Cloverspeckle turned on her paws, and Optimus watched the StarClan she-cat bound away. The tom continued on through the clearing, avoiding the bodies of lifeless cats. Optimus's ears twitched as he heard a faint noise. Turning his head back and forth, he pinpointed the source of the noise and started off trotting towards it to his right. Ahead of him lay a body on the ground; it held the glow of a StarClan cat. The red and blue tom gasped as he recognized the pink pelt of Elita-1. He sprinted over to the StarClan cat, eyes wide in horror.

"Elita!" Optimus whimpered. The she-cat turned her head to look him in the eyes and struggled to her paws. "No, don't move. You'll only make it worse." The tom cringed at the sight of blood in a puddle at his paws.

"It's good to see you again…" The pink she-cat murmured. Elita's eyes flickered, and then they closed.

"Elita? Elita!" Optimus called, gently nudging the she-cat. The StarClan cat's body faded, and soon Optimus could only see grass. The red and blue tom stumbled backwards, eyes screwed shut in horror. He scrambled away the spot, only to run into another cat. He opened his eyes to see Jazz looking at him with wide eyes.

"Woah, hold on! Calm down, bro." Jazz said. "Wha's wrong?" Optimus quickly explained, and Jazz looked at him in horror and sadness. "Aw, man… I'm sorreh, Prime." Jazz laid his tail comfortingly on Optimus's shoulders. The red and blue tom shrugged away, and walked on through the clearing, helping the cats he could see who needed the most help. A lot of the bodies were Decepticats, but there were Clan cats among them. Optimus shuddered as he saw the mutilated body of a SnowClan warrior, Breakingcliff. The clearing was silent, deadly silent. Seeing no other cats alive, Optimus made his way back to where the IceClan cats were gathering. He found Wildfang in the middle of the crowd.

"Is there anyone missing?" The deputy called, looking through the sea of glowing eyes.

"Where's Icestar?" A cat called from the back.

"She's fine." Optimus raised his voice. Wildfang nodded to him, and then went on.

"Who has the worst wounds?" Wildfang called. One of the warriors, Talonstrike, padded up. Or, more like, was carried up. The tom's foreleg hung limply at his side. "Alright, go find one of the medicine cats." Wildfang ordered. The cats helping him took him over to Oakleaf. Only a few other cats followed, but rest of the cats had no major wounds.

"Thank StarClan we didn't lose any more warriors…" Shadestare murmured, Splotchfur nodding, agreeing with the black she-cat.

_*Icestar P.O.V.*_

The black and white she-cat jumped as something nudged her. She dizzily shot to her paws, tense. She looked around and relaxed when she saw Stormfall.

"Is there anyone missing from our Clan?" Icestar asked the gray tom.

"Yes. Spottedpaw, Speckledpaw, Streakedpaw, Fallowfawn, Patchtail, Jaguarheart, and Stormflash are dead. Only a few of our warriors have major wounds. But I can't say the same for the rest of the Clans." Both cats looked out over the devastated clearing. There were still bodies to be picked up. Icestar turned around as she saw Rainstar bounding up to her.

"There is a meeting between leaders." The copper she-cat said. Icestar got to her feet and followed her half-sister over to where the leaders of the Lake and Winter Clans and the leader of the Tribe were meeting. Icestar and Rainstar were the last to arrive.

"Thank StarClan that we had them and the big cat Clans to fight alongside us." Wolfstar muttered. Icestar gazed at her older friend; he looked ragged. It wouldn't be long before he joined StarClan.

"And the group of other cats from the mountains." Eaglestar added.

"How did they even get wind of this? We never told them." Stoneteller asked, confused.

"The Autocats brought them." Icestar jumped in.

"But we exiled them." Midnightstar growled.

"Shut up, Midnightstar. They came back, and they brought fighting forces. You should be grateful." Minkstar of BlizzardClan rolled her eyes.

"This is none of my business, but they are a valuable asset the Clans. I'd suggest taking them back in." Bramblestar suggested.

"I rarely ever agree with ThunderClan, but Bramblestar is correct." Blackstar of ShadowClan nodded.

"They were a part of my Clan first. I will take them back." Icestar stood to her paws, eyes slightly narrowed at Midnightstar.

"What, so you can use them to take extra territory?" Midnightstar snarled.

"You're already accusing me of trying to steal territory!? Look what just happened!" Icestar snarled, sweeping her tail behind her.

"Midnightstar, use your head!" Nightstar of SleetClan swatted the FrostClan leader's ears. "You need to calm down and think before you act." Midnightstar fell quiet, but still glared daggers at Icestar. Icestar held the black tom's eyes coolly until the younger leader looked away.

"It's up to the Autocats which Clan they join." Phoenixstar said, shaking her ginger head. The other leaders nodded, agreeing.

"I suggest, we return and hold a Gathering in two moons, when we have the chance to recuperate and heal. We can meet in two sunrises to find out which Clan the Autocats will join." Wolfstar said. The other leaders immediately agreed; Wolfstar was a respected leader, even by Midnightstar.

"Let us return to our Clans." Nightstar of SleetClan stood to his paws.

"May StarClan light your paths." Icestar turned away and walked back to her Clan. She quickly looked over her battle patrol and found no living face missing.

"Wildfang, take the patrol back to camp. I need to look at something real quick." Icestar said to her deputy. The deputy was about to object, but thought better of it and nodded. Glancing around the clearing, Icestar turned on her paws and ran back to where she had met her mother and two half brothers. Finding the trail Knockout and Breakdown had left, the IceClan leader followed the trail to the edge of the forest on the far side of the clearing, in the direction of RainClan territory. The scent trail grew stronger, and Icestar peered into the bushes, and finally glimpsed to sets of eyes staring at her.

"The battle's over. You two can come out from hiding now." Icestar said, head raised warily in case it was not her two brothers. Icestar relaxed when she recognized Knockout and Breakdown.

"Good. Maybe those Decepticat idiots are gone now." Knockout yawned and stretched.

"I take it you two still want to join IceClan?" Icestar said, beginning to turn around.

"Of course. Safety in numbers, and why not be in a Clan with family?" Breakdown followed Icestar, while Knockout looked around to make sure no other Decepticats were around. Icestar was about to speak when she heard a cat snarl, and she whirled around to find Optimus pinning Knockout to the ground, growling in his face.

"Hey, hey, hey!" Knockout said, scrambling to get to his paws. Breakdown growled and leapt forward, but was stopped by Icestar.

"Optimus, stop!" The she-cat growled.

"Why? They're Decepticats!" The red and blue tom hissed.

"They are no longer Decepticats, Optimus. They switched sides. I will not abandon my brothers." Icestar reasoned, and Optimus stepped off of Knockout, who jumped to his paws and ran behind Icestar.

"They're your brothers?" Optimus said, eyes wide.

"Yes. My mother, Cloverspeckle, had a different litter of kits after she disappeared. They can be trusted." Icestar mewed. The red and blue tom looked at Icestar's half brothers suspiciously, and the nodded slowly.

"I'll go tell the patrol so they won't be attacked." Optimus said before running on ahead of the three cats.

"Let's go." Icestar made the way back across the clearing, heading in the direction Optimus had. Picking up the pace until she was running, the IceClan leader crossed over the IceClan border, and the scent of the border patrol became stronger, until she passed through as swath of ferns and found her Clan. Nodding to Wildfang, Icestar took her place at the front of the patrol and turned to Optimus. "Make sure Knockout and Breakdown get to camp alright." The red and blue tom nodded and turned around, catching sight of Icestar's half brothers and leading them to the back of the patrol. The battle patrol made slow progress through the forest do to the tired warriors. When they finally made their way back to camp, Icestar went through the bramble entrance first. The camp showed no sign of raiding.

"I'll go check to cave complex." Icestar stalked over to the entrance to her den and ducked her head in. As her eyes grew accustomed to the dark, she saw a shape fly out of the darkness at her. The black and white she-cat jumped back as Pureheart, one of the elders, jumped out of the den, snarling. The old black tom stopped at once when he saw the battle patrol.

"Thank StarClan! You're alright!" The old black tom breathed.

"Is everyone okay?" Icestar asked immediately.

"Yes. No one came into the camp after you left." Icestar nodded at the elder's words.

"Shadestare, Mosstalon, Hollyleaf. Help the elders and queens. I'll go talk with the medicine cats." The three she-cats nodded to their leader and walked into the cave after Pureheart. As the battle patrol rested around in groups in the clearing, Icestar made her way over to Blackpoppy and Oakleaf.

"About time, Icestar!" Blackpoppy snapped. The black she-cat beckoned the leader over to the den to check her wounds.

"Are there any cats who won't survive from their wounds?" Icestar asked as the medicine cat looked her over.

"No, they'll all survive. The only ones that didn't survive are the ones that died in the battle." Oakleaf answered for her mentor.

"For StarClan's sake, Icestar!" Blackpoppy hissed as she found a gash on Icestar's neck. Icestar rolled her eyes. "Why didn't you come to me sooner?"

"I have more lives to spare than my clanmates. I can wait, they cannot." The leader answered simply. Blackpoppy grumbled something incoherent, and patched up the gash. Blackpoppy checked Icestar once over one more time and gasped.

"Icestar! Why in StarClan's name did you fight! You're expecting!" Blackpoppy growled.

"I know." Icestar said, meeting the medicine cat's blazing eyes coolly.

"You should have stayed behind! I can't even fathom who or what you fought! You put your life and your kits' life in danger!" The black she-cat hissed.

"I wasn't just about to stay behind like a coward when I was able-bodied to fight. It's still early." Icestar defended herself. Blackpoppy was about to argue when she shut her mouth and stalked away, grumbling something about Icestar being "too stubborn for her own good". The IceClan leader rolled her eyes once again and padded out of the den, accompanied by Oakleaf.

"Mother…" The blind she-cat started. Icestar turned to look at her daughter.

"What is it?" The leader asked.

"Whose are they?" The blind she-cat asked. Icestar was about to answer when she was interrupted.

"Icestar, have you had your wounds checked?" Optimus asked.

"Yes, I have." Icestar nodded; the blue and red tom walked off.

"Oh, I see." Oakleaf said teasingly. Icestar gently nudged her daughter with her shoulder.

"Don't you have your eyes one someone by now?" Icestar asked. Oakleaf shrugged.

"A lot of the toms aren't very mature." The white and brown she-cat said, ear twitching. "Besides, who would want a blind mate?" Oakleaf hung her head. Icestar looked at her daughter sadly and laid her tail on the younger she-cat's shoulders, bringing her over to the side of the camp.

"Why do you say that?" Icestar asked her daughter.

"Because I would never be able to hunt or defend my kits or mate if I ever had a family. I wouldn't even be able to see them!" Oakleaf mewed, blind eyes filled with sadness.

"Oakleaf. Just because you can't see does not mean you are inadequate." Icestar said quietly, looking her daughter in the face. "The Clan will always be there to help you. As will I." The leader murmured, licking Oakleaf's forehead to comfort her. Icestar's daughter leaned against Icestar, purring quietly.

"Thanks, mother." Oakleaf pulled back and walked into the medicine cat's den, tail swishing happily. Icestar watched after Oakleaf for a bit before turning her attention to the camp. The cats were being seen to by Blackpoppy, along with help from Ratchet and Jolt. No cat was lost, but that couldn't be said for the other Clans and StarClan. Icestar's ears dropped as she remembered the fate of Sunblaze, and she shut her eyes, trying to block out the scene of him dying for the second time. Getting to her paws, she walked through the throng of cats and jumped up onto the Ice Rock, ignoring the pain of her tired legs.

"Cats of IceClan!" Icestar called over the camp. The quiet discussions immediately ceased. "We have survived this war with only a few losses." Icestar hung her head. "But StarClan has blessed us, and they have also blessed us with the Autocats, who brought another tribe of cats from the mountains and the ancient cats of the big cat Clans." Icestar dipped her head the strangely colored group of cats, watching some of them duck their heads in embarrassment. The other IceClan cats cheered.

"The valiant cats we lost were Spottedpaw, Speckledpaw, Streakedpaw, Fallowfawn, Patchtail, Jaguarheart, and Stormflash. They will be welcomed in StarClan as great warriors." Icestar looked at the bodies of the deceased cats in the clearing, eyes sad. "But, now we must name new warriors. It is time they earned their full names." Icestar looked over at her kits, and beckoned them with her tail. Graypaw walked up first, and the others looked surprised and shocked, but equally happy. Icestar jumped down from her perch and looked at the apprentices' mentors. "Are they ready to become warriors?" She asked.

"Lynxpaw is ready." Lynxpaw's mentor, Tigerstrike, stood to his paws. The other mentors nodded, agreeing with the tom. Icestar looked at her kits, and Graypaw stepped up first.

"Do you all promise to uphold the warrior cold, and defend the Clan even at the cost of your life?" Icestar asked. The apprentices nodded and Icestar heard a chorus of "I do"s. "Then by the powers of StarClan bested in me, Graypaw, your warrior name will be Graythistle. Fawnpaw, your warrior name will be Fawnfoot. Cougarpaw, your warrior name will be Cougarfang. Wolfpaw, your warrior name shall be Wolfhowl. Lynxpaw, your warrior name will be Lynxpath." Icestar turned to her oldest son, Bearpaw. The scarred tom walked up slowly; worry sparking in his one eye.

"Bearpaw, your warrior name will be Bearheart." Icestar rested her head on Bearpaw's, and he licked her shoulder, as was tradition. The Clan chanted the new warriors' name, and Icestar looked on her kits proudly as they basked in the noise of the Clan.

"I thought you would give me a name that would represent my scars, like Beareye or something…" The brown tabby tom murmured.

"I would never give you a name like that, Bearheart. You earned your name, with your strength and cunning." For the first time in a long time, Icestar saw Bearheart perk up, and he ran to join his siblings to stand guard, as was tradition of new warriors. Icestar's ears twitched as she heard a cat walk up next to her. The leader turned to see Optimus, and she nodded to the tom.

"The other leaders decided to renounce your exile. In two days, you and I will meet with the other leaders to decide what Clan you decide to join." Icestar said to the leader of the Autocats.

"I don't see why, if we're staying here." The tom mewed warmly.

"I figured as much, but you still have to tell the other leaders. Some of them won't take me word for it." Icestar rolled her eyes, lightly shoving the tom's shoulder. Turning her attention to the camp, Icestar gazed at her Clan proudly; they had survived. The Clans would live on.

**Don't worry guys. There are still more chapters to come!**


	26. Chapter 26

**Sorry guys. I hit some writer's block, for maybe the first time ever for this story.**

**Merry Christmas, guys! Or Merry/Happy whatever you celebrate.**

_*Optimus P.O.V.*_

"And this is the RainClan border." Optimus watched as Icestar led her half-brothers in a tour around the territory. Optimus hid his amusement as she watched the two ex-Decepticats flinch when a Twoleg monster roared by. The red and blue tom's ears twitched when he heard a voice carried across the Thunderpath.

"Greetings, Icestar!" Optimus turned to see the RainClan leader, Rainstar, across the Thunderpath.

"I take everything in your Clan is well?" Icestar called back. The Rainstar nodded her head, before whisking back into the undergrowth on the RainClan side of the Thunderpath.

"I didn't think Clan leaders got along so well with other leaders." Breakdown mused.

"I have a special bond with my half-sister." Icetar shrugged.

"Half-sister?" Knockout mewed, eyes wide.

"On my father's side, I have two half-sisters. Rainstar, and the RainClan medicine cat, Peaceheart." Icestar explained. "Now, can you two find your way back to camp? There's a meeting between all the Clan leaders soon." Knockout and Breakdown nodded before turning away and stalking through the undergrowth.

"Where's the meeting again?" Optimus asked as Icestar started walking again.

"Where the Gatherings are held." Icestar answered. "We had better get going so we're not late." Icestar picked up the pace until she was sprinting, and Optimus followed. Both cats crossed over the border using the tunnel underneath the Thunderpath, and Optimus remembered when IceClan had rescued their kits and hid them there. Running alongside Icestar, Optimus was silent. There was no need for words at that time. Icestar pulled ahead of Optimus and ran into the clearing where Gatherings were held first. There, the others leaders were waiting except for Wolfstar of GlacierClan and Eaglestar of HailClan. Optimus slowed his pace as Icestar did, and sat next to her when she stopped.

"Are you okay?" Optimus asked.

"I'm fine." Icestar panted lightly. "Just need to catch my breath." The blue and red tom watched for a little while longer before turning around to face the other leaders.

"Where are Eaglestar and Wolfstar?" Minkstar of BlizzardClan asked.

"I'm here." Eaglestar walked out of the bushes at the edge of the clearing, trotting to join the circle of leaders.

"That just leaves Wolfstar." Midnightstar rolled his eyes, annoyed. Icestar growled lowly at the young leader's impatience. The bushes at the far end of the clearing rustled, and the leaders turned their heads to look as Wolfstar limped out of the bushes, accompanied by his deputy.

"All right, let's get this over with." The old leader wheezed.

"Are you alright, Wolfstar?" Rainstar asked anxiously.

"Just getting on in life." The old tom joked, and then he shook his head and turned to Optimus. "Have you and your cats decided which Clan you will join?" Optimus nodded.

"We have decided to stay in IceClan, since it's the first Clan we joined."

"Are you serious?" Midnightstar jumped to his feet. "You just want to help Icestar take over the Clans!" The other leaders looked at Midnightstar in shock.

"How dare you!?" Icestar seethed, fur bristling.

"I dare because I'm right! You're just as ambitious and cold-hearted as your father!" Midnightstar snarled. Icestar bared her fangs at the youngest leader, claws extended.

"Midnightstar, how you ever became leader I'll never know." Eaglestar snorted.

"That is completely untrue, Midnightstar!" Rainstar hissed, neck fur bristling.

"Stop acting like kits, everyone!" Wolfstar meowed loudly, eyes narrowed to slits. "Midnightstar, that was an extremely horrible thing to say! Icestar is nothing like that pitiful excuse for a leader!"

"It's true!" Midnightstar defended himself.

"Let us not forget who let the Decepticats into the Clans, Midnightstar." Nightstar of SleetClan growled. Midnightstar hissed at the tom, claws extended.

"Mange-pelt." Icestar muttered, ears pinned back. Optimus jumped to his paws as Midnightstar leapt at the IceClan leader, and the blue and red tom shoved Midnightstar out of the air. The thin black tom hit the ground and rolled before jumping to his paws.

"You all are sorry excuses for leaders!" Midnightstar spat. The other leaders glared and snarled. Swiftstar, who was nearest to the leader of FrostClan, stood to his paws and advanced towards the smaller tom. Midnightstar balked, and then turned and sprinted back towards his territory, tail between his legs.

"I can't wait until another cat takes his place." Rainstar growled.

"It's been decided. The meeting is over now." Swiftstar of SnowClan mewed, before turning around and walking back towards his territory.

"May StarClan light your paths." Wolfstar said, and turned around himself to walk away. Icestar got to her paws, fur still bristling, and stalked away. Optimus followed, slightly worried for his leader.

"Are you alright?" He asked once they were out of ear-shot.

"I'm fine." Icestar snapped, eyes narrowed. Optimus fell silent; what Midnightstar had said stung deeper than the she-cat let show. The pair traveled in silence, and still didn't speak when they got back to camp. Optimus nodded to Icestar before turning to Jazz, who had walked up to him.

"What's got Icestar's tail in a twist?" The gray tom asked.

"At the meeting between the leaders, Midnightstar said she was just like Scarredstar."

"That fox-heart!" Jazz said, growling.

"He was just angry that we decided to stay with IceClan." Optimus shrugged, eyes narrowed.

"That was still uncalled for." Optimus's ears twitched as he heard Ratchet spoke.

"Anyways, how has life been treating you all lately?" Optimus asked.

"Blackpoppy has been snapping at anyone who comes near and won't let Jolt or myself help her." Ratchet rolled his eyes.

"Ya do know you two are really alike?" Jazz teased. Ratchet shot the gray tom a dark glare.

"I am not interested in her. We're just friends. And what about you and Oakleaf?" Ratchet shot back. Jazz looked away, ears flat in embarrassment. Optimus watched the two toms bicker, amused.

"Shut up." Jazz muttered. Ratchet rolled his eyes, annoyed at the gray tom. Optimus shook his head before turning around and walking off.

"Optimus." The red and blue tom turned around to see Wildfang. "What's wrong with Icestar?" The deputy asked. Optimus quickly explained, and Wildfang growled. "Stupid FrostClan tom." She sniffed. "Anyways, you should rest now. I don't have you scheduled for patrols for the rest of the day." The brown she-cat walked off. Optimus nodded and entered the extended warriors' den and curled up in his nest, the day's events replaying through his thoughts.

_*Icestar P.O.V.*_

Icestar swiped at the air, pacing around her den.

"Fox-hearted… mouse-brained… idiot." Icestar growled, seething with anger.

"Icestar?"The IceClan leader turned to see Wildfang at the entrance of her den.

"What is it?" Icestar walked out of her den and shook her fur.

"I heard what happened."

"What of it?" Icestar snorted, eyes narrowed.

"Just don't listen to that stupid FrostClan tom. He never knows what he's talking about." Wildfang mewed.

"I noticed that." Icestar rolled her eyes. "Anyways, is there any other reason you needed to speak to me?" The leader of IceClan asked.

"Well, I was just going to say you should move into the nursery soon…" The deputy suggested. Icestar sat down and curled her tail around her paws.

"I have plenty of time." Icestar shrugged, stifling a yawn.

"I'm just telling you before Blackpoppy makes you." Wildfang's ears twitched. Icestar rolled her eyes before getting to her paws.

"Alright." The leader grumbled, padding over to the nursery. She poked her head through and waited until her eyes adjusted to the dim lighting before continuing on.

"Icestar!" The white and black she-cat looked around to see Badgerkit and Foxkit.

"Hello!" Badgerkit mewed happily.

"When will we become apprentices?" Foxkit jumped to his paws.

"Don't worry, you will soon." Icestar purred.

"Hopefully. These two are a pawful." Calicofang meowed from her place beside her kits. Icestar realized that the kits were nearing their sixth moon; she would have to pick out mentors for them. But Icestar decided she had time to figure that out later; turning and padding to the side of the nursery, Icestar noticed that nest had already been made for her.

"Thanks, you all, for making my a nest." Icestar turned to the queens.

"Oh, it wasn't us." Chromia said. "It was Optimus."

"He really loves you, doesn't he?" Calicofang teased.

"She doesn't need to reply for us to know that answer to that question." Chromia joked. Icestar shot them a joking glare before curling up in her nest to sleep.


	27. Chapter 27

**Again, writer's block has caught me. ;-; Sorry for the really long wait, guys.**

**One thing: I thought of a little one-shot idea of, like, what if the TFP versions of the Autocats met the movie versions of the Autocats. Just an idea, but I'd like to hear your thoughts.**

_*Icestar P.O.V.*_

Icestar started awake in her nest when she felt a pang in her stomach. She brushed off the feeling and laid her head down on her paws when the feeling came back again, but stronger. The black and white she-cat gritted her teeth, for she had felt this feeling before; her kits were coming. The leader turned to look at Calicofang. Though her kits were now apprentices, she stayed in the nursery to help with the kits of the Clan.

"Calicofang?" The black and white she-cat caught the other's attention.

"Yes, Icestar?" Calicofang stood to her paws.

"Mind getting Blackpoppy and Oakleaf? It's time." Icestar shifted into a more comfortable position. Calicofang immediately nodded and quickly walked out of the nursery.

_*Optimus P.O.V.*_

The red and blue tom stepped out of the way of Calicofang as she shoved past him, quickly mewing an apology before making her way into the medicine cats' den.

"I wonder what that's about." Ironhide commented. Optimus shrugged; he had no clue either. Soon, the calico she-cat returned, followed by the medicine cats. While the medicine cats went on, Calicofang stopped in front of Optimus.

"Hold tight; Icestar's kits are coming. And yes, you have to stay out here." The she-cat meowed before whisking back into the nursery. The red and blue tom stared after the she-cat in shock, immediately worried for the welfare of Icestar.

"Well, I can see why Calicofang nearly ran you over." Ironhide mused.

"Do you think she'll be alright?" Optimus asked, standing to his paws.

"She'll be fine; Icestar's tough." The red and blue tom turned to see Trueheart, one of the elders. The old black tom motioned Optimus over to the camp entrance. "Let's take a walk, shall we? It'll take your mind off things." Optimus followed the old black tom out into the forest. The two toms were silent until Optimus spoke.

"Are you close to Icestar?" He asked Trueheart. The black tom nodded.

"I was her mentor, and I am her mother's brother. I was a warrior by the time Icestar's mother became an apprentice, but other than the age difference I was quite close with Cloverspeckle." Trueheart mewed, his eyes glazing over with sadness before he shook his head, and the black tom looked on into the forest once again. "I've never gotten around to asking you before, but where did you and your group of cats come from?"

"We came from the south, far beyond here. There was a small mountain range between our old territories and the Winter Clan range, but that mountain range was easier to travel through and less dangerous." Optimus shuddered; the mountain range they had first traveled over had no wolves.

"Ah, no wolves?" The elder automatically guessed what Optimus was thinking, and the red and blue tom nodded in agreement. "Well, hopefully, the wolves won't bother us for a long time."

"Hopefully that last fight was the end of the war." Optimus sighed.

"It should be; Scarredstar, Megatron, and Sentinel Prime are gone. Who else is there to attack us, besides the wolves? And they were warned by the big cat Clans themselves to stay away from us." Trueheart mused. Both toms were silent for a while before Optimus spoke again.

"How did you get your name? Trueheart; it's a brave name, yet many cats don't have one as heroic sounding." The red and blue tom asked, hoping he wasn't intruding on personal ground.

"Well, the leader when I was an apprentice, Moonstar, gave me that name for saving a SnowClan kit from the gorge, even though at that time the tension between our Clans were very high." Trueheart explained.

"Well, then you definitely deserve the name you bear." The red and blue tom said, looking over at the elder. The black tom sighed and shrugged.

"When Scarredstar first betrayed us, I sure didn't feel like I earned my name. I couldn't defend the Clan when he brought RainClan to attack, you know? I was immediately knocked against a rock and went out cold. I only woke up after the battle, and I can't describe the guilt I felt, seeing my Clanmates slaughtered while I remained untouched." Trueheart's words were filled with a bittereness that truly showed his guilt, and Optimus touched his tail tip to Trueheart's shoulder to comfort the older tom. Shaking himself out of his reverie, Trueheart's gaze looked over at Optimus, and the black tom stopped walking. "Do you hear that?" The black tom tilted his head to one side. Optimus did the same, and caught the sound of something rushing through the undergrowth. Both toms jumped as Graythistle lunged through the undergrowth, panting.

"The… kits are there!" The gray tom panted, having run all the way from camp.

"Shall I accompany you on the way back?" Optimus asked Trueheart. The black tom shook his head.

"I'll be fine; Graythistle can come back with me if he wishes to. You go on ahead." Trueheart stretched, his old black fur rippling along his body. Optimus nodded to the two toms before turning in the direction of camp and sprinting through the forest, eager and worried at the same time. The tom slowed down once he reached camp, padding through the camp entrance carefully and heading towards the nursery. As he neared, Blackpoppy poked her head out of the den.

"Is she alright?" Optimus asked. Blackpoppy nodded.

"She's fine. Tired, but fine." Blackpoppy pushed past the red and blue tom, followed by Oakleaf. The tom nodded before going into the nursery himself. He spied Icestar curled up in the back, and quietly made his way over to her. The she-cat stirred as he came near, and looked at him with tired but warm eyes.

"Three. Two she-kits and one tom." The black and white she-cat purred. The she-cat shifted so that the kit s would be seen more easily. The only tom was red with darker stripes, with a white underside. One of the she-kits was a light brown tabby with dark brown stripes and amber eyes. The last kit was a blue gray she-kit, with a white underside like her brother and black marbled stripes. "You name the she-cats, and I'll name the tom?" Icestar asked. Optimus nodded.

"What about… Thornkit for the brown tabby, and Duskkit for the gray she-kit?" Optimus offered. Icestar nodded.

"I was thinking Blazekit for the tom." The IceClan leader suggested.

"They're wonderful name." Optimus said warmly. He settled down next to Icestar, letting the she-cat rest while he watched the kits.

**Oh my gosh. Again, I apologize again for such a long wait for such a short chapter.**

**This is the last part of the Dark of the Moon installment. I will pick this story up again, more towards summer. I won't just leave the whole thing like this. So, just wait for the next chapter in a few months guys.**

**Again, reviews are appreciated!**


	28. Chapter 28

**Huzzah! A new branch for this story has been created!**

_*Icestar P.O.V.*_

Icestar purred lightly in her sleep as she lay curled around her kits. She quickly fell into a deep sleep, warm and safe in the IceClan nursery.

The she-cat jumped to her paws as a white light flashed in front of her eyes. A form came before her, and Icestar recognized the cat as her mother, Cloverspeckle.

"Mother?" Icestar mewed. The brown tabby she-cat came closer.

"Your destiny with the Autocats is not yet finished. There is another mission for you." The StarClan she-cat said. Icestar's eyes widened; there was more to come?

"What? What do you mean?"

"You will be taken to another territory. Another world, almost. You will help there." Icestar's mother faded, and the dream grew blindingly white. Icestar screwed her eyes shut, and she jumped slightly as she woke up. Opening her eyes, she looked around to see if any of the other queens were awake. Icestar nearly jumped out of her skin as she realized that she was no longer in the IceClan nursery. Looking around, the she-cat noticed that the territory she was in wasn't in any of the Clan territories she recognized. Icestar quickly looked around for kits, and sighed in relief when she found them still curled up to her side. The white and black she-cat turned her head to look further at her surroundings, and stood to her paws, worried as to what her Clan would think.

_*Back at IceClan Camp*_

"Icestar's kits are missing, too!" The Clan was in a panic. Their leader and a handful of their warriors were missing.

"Arcee and Smokescreen are gone as well!" Ironhide called. Wildfang stood on the Ice Rock, trying to get the Clan under control.

"Cats of IceClan! Be quiet and let us get this straightened out!" Wildfang yowled, and the cats below her went silent. "Alright, who all is missing?"

"Icestar and her kits, along with Optimus, Ratchet, Smokescreen, Bumblebee, Wheeljack, Arcee, Bearheart, Knockout, and Breakdown." Stormfall called.

"Trueheart is gone, too!" Wildfang turned around at the croaking voice of Swampclaw. The elderly she-cat was distressed at the disappearance of her long-time friend.

"Why are they gone? There aren't any scent trails depicting them leaving camp." Tigerstrike asked from his place beside the Ice Rock.

"That's because they didn't leave camp." The clearing went silent as a voice spoke from the back. "They were all taken to another place." The medicine cat of the Clan, Blackpoppy, mewed quietly.

"What?" The single-worded question was repeated throughout the group of cats.

"Elaborate." Wildfang stared at the black and white she-cat.

"I received a dream from StarClan. Those that disappeared are needed for something in another place. I don't know what that need is, but they will return." Blackpoppy explained. Wildfang nodded slowly.

"Alright… IceClan, we will wait for their return. As long as it takes." Wildfang jumped down from the Ice Rock, tail stiff with worry.

_*With Bearheart*_

The brown tabby tom paced anxiously, the unfamiliar forest unnerving him. The ground was sandy underpaw, and the air was warm. He strained his ears, trying to pick up any familiar sound. Bearheart was lost in his thoughts when he heard an outraged shriek, and recognized the sound as his mother, Icestar. The IceClan warrior turned on his paws and raced in the direction of the she-cat's howl, and soon ran into a small clearing. There, he saw his mother facing three toms that looked near alike, her three kits backed against a tree with her between them and the toms. The unfamiliar toms ranged from black to gray to purple, all with red eyes. Bearheart let out a savage growl and tackled the one nearest to him, biting the tom's neck and throwing him away. With the other two distracted, Bearheart saw Icestar launch herself at the other two toms, slamming their heads together with her paws and knocking them unconscious.

"Bearheart!?" The black and white she-cat nuzzled her son. "You're here, too?"

"How did we get here?" Bearheart asked, stepping away slightly from his mother to look at her.

"I'm not sure… I received a dream from StarClan, though. I was told I was needed here."

"Then why am I here? Is anyone else we know here? Who were those toms?" Bearheart asked Icestar. The IceClan leader shook her head.

"I can't answer those questions; I'm sorry." Bearheart shrugged; they would find out sometime.

"Do we go somewhere, now?" Bearheart asked. Icestar was about to answer when she lifted her nose to the air and scented it. Bearheart did the same, and caught the scent of a group of cats.

"Let's go investigate that." Icestar turned to her kits, who had tumbled over with the danger now gone. She picked up the only tom of the litter, Blazekit, in her jaws. Bearheart crouched on the ground and let the other two kits clamber up onto his shoulders. Thornkit, a light brown tabby she-cat, and Duskkit, a black she-cat with a white underside, clung to his shoulders, looking around with wonder. The brown tom followed his mother as she walked in the direction the scent came from, tense. The foliage thinned out and the land became a sandy plain. In the distance under the shade of a tree were a group of strangely colored cats.

"Hey… that looks like Optimus, doesn't it?" Bearheart glanced at his mother. The black and white she-cat stared, silent.

"Stay here. I will go make sure." Icestar put down Blazekit next to Bearheart's paws and stepped out into the sun.

_*Icestar P.O.V.*_

Icestar trotted quickly across the sandy plain, the sand burning her pads slightly. The hot sun didn't help either; having come from a land with a cooler weather climate, she wasn't used to such warmth. She watched the cats from a distance, and recognized a blue and red tom. She trotted closer, eyes narrowed against the bright light.

"Optimus!" She called when she was within hearing range. All five cats looked at her, the red and blue tom included. Icestar stopped cold; the tom was red and blue, but his face was gray. Her Optimus didn't have a gray face. One of the cats jumped to his paws, this one a mossy green and gray.

"How does she know who you are?" He growled, fur bristling. The other cats got to their paws as well, the red and blue tom stepping forward.

"I apologize; I do not recognize you. How do you know my name?" He asked. Icestar noticed this Optimus' voice differed slightly from the one she knew; his voice wasn't as deep.

"I'm sorry." She dipped her head to him. "You look like someone I know."

"How many toms are named Optimus?" Icestar glanced at a blue she-cat behind the red and blue tom.

"Hm…" Icestar thought for a moment before continuing on. "Have any of you heard of the Autocats?" The five cats in front of her looked at her strangely.

"That is us." The gray-faced Optimus swept his tail, indicating the cats behind him. "This is Bulkhead, Ratchet, Arcee, Bumblebee, and Smokescreen." The green and gray tom was Bulkhead, a red and white tom was Ratchet, the blue she-cat was Arcee, a golden tom with black stripes was Bumblebee, and a white tom with faint blue and red markings was Smokescreen.

"Icestar!" The IceClan leader turned around to see Bearheart standing in the shadows of the undergrowth with another cat. "We found Trueheart!" Icestar immediately turned around, the supposed Autocats forgotten, and raced towards her son and the elder.

"Are you all alright?" Icestar asked the black tom.

"Yes, I'm fine. But where in StarClan are we?" Trueheart asked. Icestar shook her head, indicating she didn't know. "Odd…" Trueheart murmured, sitting down stiffly on his haunches. Icestar's kits immediately raced over to him. The black tom was their favorite elder.

"Any sign of anyone else we know?" Icestar asked worriedly.

"I thought I caught whiff of Ratchet and Optimus, but I wasn't too sure. There were too many other cats' scents to tell it apart." He mewed apologetically.

"It's alright. They can take care of themselves." Icestar shook her head, and glanced behind her to see the group of five cats had followed. "I will search for the others. You all stay here. Bearheart, you come with me." Icestar said to the elder and kits, and turned to her son. She then turned to the patrol of other cats. "If I come back and find out you attacked them, I will line my nest with your pelts." She growled warningly before running off into the forest, eyes narrowed in concentration.

_*Optimus P.O.V.*_

"Do you think there's anyone else here we know?" Ratchet asked the red and blue tom. Optimus shook his head; his only indication of being here was a dream he'd had the night before they woke up in this strange place. Cloverspeckle, Icestar's mother, had spoken to him and said that there was more to do in defeating the Decepticats. Optimus found this very strange considering that they had defeated the Decepticats already. Optimus and Ratchet had already ran into Bumblebee, Smokescreen, Wheeljack, and Arcee, quite literally, and the patrol of six cats made their way through the dry undergrowth.

"This is really weird-" Smokescreen was cut off as the undergrowth to their left rustled, and two familiar toms crashed through the undergrowth.

"Hey, look! Cats we actually know!" Knockout bounded up to them, Breakdown following. Icestar's half-brothers panted like they had been running from something.

"Why are you both so out of breath?" Ratchet asked the two.

"Well, we got ambushed by this patrol of cats, and were mistaken for two other toms. We had to run a long ways to lose them." Breakdown explained.

"Mind if we join your group? We're lost here in this new territory…" Knockout asked.

"Of course." Optimus answered. The two brothers immediately picked up the back of their patrol, and Optimus continued onwards. Looking for any sort of scent trail, the blue and red tom sniffed about, hoping to catch even the slightest presence of a familiar cat. All eight cats looked up as a small shape bounded out of the ferns and clung to Optimus' leg. The red and blue tom immediately recognized the shape as his son, Blazekit.

"Blazekit!?" His eyes widened. Two other kits soon followed; Thornkit and Duskkit.

"You all are here, too?" Optimus looked up as the black elder, Trueheart, followed the kits.

"Is Icestar here?" He asked immediately. Trueheart nodded.

"So is Bearheart."

"Alright… where are they?" The red and blue tom asked.

"They went to look for you all. They should be back soon." Trueheart answered. Optimus sighed in relief, relaxing. "We set up a little camp just past these ferns." Trueheart turned around and led the patrol through the ferns. There the forest thinned out to a sandy plain, and in the distance were a group of cats in the shade of a tree.

"Who are they?" Knockout asked, curious.

"A group of cats. I think you need to meet them…" Trueheart said quietly. Optimus tilted his head to the side, before nodding. He walked out into the sun, his Autocats following. Breakdown and Knockout stayed back with Trueheart and the kits to see if they would need help.

"Excuse me?" Optimus asked. The five cats looked at him, and Optimus stared at the one closest to him. This tom was red and blue as well, but with a gray face.

"Great; more strangers." A red and white tom rolled his eyes.

"I hate to be forward, but who are you?" Optimus asked.

"I am Optimus Prime. We are the Autocats." The gray-faced tom in front of him said.

"… I don't believe I heard you right. Because _I _and Optimus Prime, and we are the Autocats." Optimus indicated to the cats behind him.

Both patrols lined up across from each other, bristling slightly. The two red and blue toms stared at each other, eyes wide. Both sides were ready to fight against the opposing one, each cat confused on the other's claim to who they were. Tension crackled like lightning in the dry air; if one wrong tail twitch or fangs bared caused the other side to retaliate, each side would be in danger of someone getting hurt or killed.

**So, alright. Icestar and the others have been transported to the world of the TFP Autocats. :o Prepare to be amazed at this plot. :) Review please!**


	29. Chapter 29

***Headdesk* Guys, I am SO, SO sorry you all had to wait so long for an update. ;-; I sowwy. I have legit reasons.**

**1) A friend of mine was contemplating commiting suicide. Another friend and I have to make sure he was okay and that he wouldn't.**

**2) I had a huge project (500 points) due.**

**3) I'm graduating to the high school next year, so classes have been hectic.**

**ANYWAYS, onto le story!**

***\./*\./*\./***

_*Icestar P.O.V.*_

Icestar broke through the bushes where Trueheart and her kits were.

"We didn't find anyone." She sighed. The elder turned to look at her.

"It's alright. We found everyone else." He stood to his paws. Icestar's three kits bounded towards her, mewling their excitement.

"Icestar! You're okay!" The white and black she-cat looked up to see her two half-brothers.

"Knockout, Breakdown? You're alright?" She walked over and quickly inspected them.

"Pff. We're fine." Knockout snorted. Breakdown shoved the red tom lightly with a shoulder.

"We found Optimus and the others. They're over there doing… something." The blue and orange tom shrugged. Icestar looked out over the plain and spotted her mate and the others, along with the other patrol of cats.

"Bearheart, stay here." She took off in their direction, sprinting over the sand. She skidded on her paws slightly as she stopped next to her Optimus. "What's going on?" She eyed the bristling cats in front of her. Optimus turned to look at her.

"These cats say they're the Autocats." Ratchet, who was next to her, growled. The white and red tom in front of him growled back.

"Because we are!" He snapped. Optimus' tail lashed, irritated.

"Before we start ripping each other's pelts off, let's get this settled." The red and blue tom before them narrowed his eyes. The cats on his side backed off, and so did the cats beside Icestar and Optimus. The red and blue tom nodded. "My name is Optimus Prime. You said your name is that as well?" He tilted his head at the red and blue tom beside Icestar.

"Indeed." He answered curtly.

"… I suggest we get out of the open, since we could be seen fairly easily with as many numbers as there are of us." The other Optimus stood to his paws, and the cats near him did the same. Icestar stood to her paws.

"I'll get the others." She murmured before turning and hurrying back to her brothers, children, and Trueheart. Reaching them, she spoke: "We're going with that group of cats. We're getting out of the open.

"Can we trust them?" Bearheart glanced at the other group.

"We'll have to. And we have greater numbers if it comes to a fight." Icestar nodded. She turned as she heard a set of pawsteps behind her.

"I'll take Blazekit." Optimus mewed, and walked over to his son. Blazekit mewed and clambered up his father's leg, burrowing between his broad shoulders.

"I'll take Thistlekit." Bearheart picked up the light brown tabby. Icestar crouched and nudged Duskkit onto her back. She stood up, and glanced at her brothers.

"Knockout, Breakdown. Would you two mind helping Trueheart if he needs it?" Her brothers nodded, while Trueheart rolled his eyes.

"Let's go." Optimus nodded and headed back to the rest of his Autocats. Duskkit dug her tiny claws into Icestar's fur to keep her balance. The cats led by the other Optimus waited nearby. Icestar followed her mate as he made his way to them. Icestar stood at his shoulder, unsure what to think of the other cats.

"Let's go. Our camp isn't too far from here." The gray-faced Optimus nodded and led his cats away, with Icestar and the rest from her Clan followed. Glancing at her mate, Icestar noticed Blazekit had curled up between his father's shoulders, and found the sight adorable. Duskkit looked in the same direction as Icestar, and mewled at her brother. Blazekit opened and eye before curled back up, yawning lightly. Duskkit, realizing her brother would not pay her any attention, curled up between Icestar's shoulders, bored. Bearheart walked on Icestar's right, his missing eye turned away from the new cats. Turning her attention back to the others, Icestar listened in on their conversation.

"…. You have had trouble with Decepticats, too?" The gray-faced Optimus asked. Icestar and her Optimus nodded.

"It's caused whole wars between our Clans." Icestar answered.

"But the stories are too long to tell in such a short time. We can discuss them later." Optimus nodded. The large patrol of cats ducked into the forest. Icestar was glad to be out of the bright sun.

"How far is your camp from here?" Icestar asked.

"Not too far." The white and red tom beside the other Optimus answered.

_*Optimus P.O.V.* Five Minutes Later*_

"Nice camp. Well protected, it looks like." Icestar nodded, surveying the camp. Hidden in a stone hollow, the only entrance was very narrow and easily seen at all points of the camp. And walls of the stone hallow were easily too tall to scale down, and the trees at the top blocked most of the sun, which would also block a lot of rain. Optimus' three kits tumbled around his paws, oblivious to the tension between both halves of the patrol.

"Hey, Icestar- Eek!" Knockout's meow was cut short as the green cat from the other Autocats tackled.

"Decepticat!" He snarled. Breakdown immediately shoved the green tom off and helped his brother up. Icestar leapt between the three toms and growled.

"You have Knockout and Breakdown with you!? You showed them our camp!" The red and white tom snarled.

"We are _not _Decepticats!" Knockout growled. Optimus stood to his paws. "We defected and joined Icestar's Clan!"

"Claws away, Bulkhead." The gray-faced Optimus stood up. "These two are different. The Knockout we know has a white face, and the Breakdown we know has an orange face." The green tom, Bulkhead, backed down, but still had a scowl written on his face.

"These two are my half-brothers. They were forced to become Decepticats when they were young, but that was where we came from. I'm not too sure about the ones you all know." Icestar defended them. The Autocats that weren't familiar with Icestar's half-brothers relaxed, but were still suspicious.

"Anyways, let us introduce ourselves." The gray-faced Optimus mewed. "I am Optimus Prime. This is Ratchet." He nodded to the red and white tom beside him. "That's Arcee and Bulkhead." The green tom that had attacked Knockout was Bulkhead, and the blue she-cat was Arcee. "And that's Bumblebee and Smokescreen." The yellow and black tom was Bumblebee, and the white tom with red and blue markings was Smokescreen. They all had gray faces.

"I'll go next. My name, like yours, is Optimus Prime. This here is Ratchet," The red and blue tom motioned to the green tom beside him. "This is Arcee and Bumblebee." The red she-cat and yellow and black tom dipped their heads. "This is Smokescreen and Que, or Wheeljack, as we call him." Smokescreen nodded to his double. Thought they were both white tomes, the Smokescreen from the Winter Clan Autocats had more red and blue on his shoulders.

"Wait, wait, wait…" The red and white Ratchet interrupted. "You have a Wheeljack, too!? So, there's two of them!?" His jaw dropped. He was about to speak again when he was interrupted.

"Yo, Sunshine, Prime! Who are all these cats!?" The patrol of cats from IceClan turned around as a white tom with red and green accents walked through them. The gray-faced Optimus quickly explained the situation. "… So… there's a double of me?"

Que walked forward. "That would be me." Both Wheeljacks inspected each other. Both toms highly differed in comparison. Though they were the same build and height, Que was silver-gray with a bright blue stripe down his forehead and back.

"Hey, Ratchet!" The white Wheeljack turned to the red and white Ratchet.

"What?" Both medics responded. The white Wheeljack's eyes widened.

"There's two of you…" He stammered.

"In the name of StarClan, would you shut up and deal with it?" Green Ratchet rolled his eyes.

_*Icestar P.O.V.*_

"Anyways… I'll go next." Icestar stepped forward. "I am Icestar, leader of my Clan, IceClan. We come from a land where there are nine Clans in total. The Autocats live alongside my warriors and we all work as a team. This is Trueheart, a respected elder." The old black tom dipped his head respectfully. "These are my kits Blazekit, Duskkit, and Thistlekit." She pointed out each kit with her tail tip. "And this is my eldest son, Bearheart." The brown tabby stepped forward. The Autocats not from IceClan gasped and gaped at his scarred face. The red and white Ratchet stepped forward.

"What happened to _you_?" He gasped. Bearheart rolled his remaining eye.

"Look, I don't stare at your guys' scars, okay?" He snapped a bit before continuing. "Anyways, I got them from Starscream."

" 'Screamer did that?" Wheeljack stared.

"Well, yeah; considering I was only an apprentice when it happened." Bearheart huffed. "He got off worse."

"How so?" Bulkhead asked. Bearheart nodded to Icestar.

"She snapped his leg, ripped out his eye, and broke his back by slamming him against a rock." The attention was snapped to Icestar.

"What? I was furious at what he had done." The black and white she-cat shrugged.

"So you killed him?" The blue Arcee snorted. Icestar nodded. "Well, that seems a little overkill."

"Overkill?" Icestar said coolly. "I say he got everything he deserved after all the Decepticats have cost me."

"And what have they cost you? I've lost two of my best friends because of them." The blue she-cat snapped. Icestar narrowed her optics.

"I lost my _three_ siblings to Starscream. I lost my unborn kits _and _my mate to Megatron. I've lost so many Clanmates I've lost count because of battles with the Decepticats." Icestar bristled. The blue-she's eyes widened slightly before they narrowed. She huffed and stalked off. Icestar glared after her slightly, before redirecting her attention to her kits.

"Well, then…" Her Optimus coughed awkwardly. "Optimus, do you want to hear about our encounters with the Decepticats?" He asked. The gray-faced Optimus nodded and turned, motioning Optimus after him.

"Bearheart, take care of your siblings, please. And mine." Icestar said to the brown tabby. Knockout and Breakdown looked at her incredulously.

"We can take care of ourselves!" The red tom huffed.

"Then help Bearheart kit-sit." She rolled her eyes before following the Optimuses and Ratchets. The other cats were getting acquainted with their doubles. Icestar noticed that the only tom without a double was Bulkhead, but he was chatting with Trueheart, so he wasn't completely bored. There was a more secluded spot of the camp; a small ring of rocks. The gray-faced Optimus and Ratchet were waiting there, and Icestar sat on one side of her Optimus while the Ratchet she knew sat on this other side.

"So…. Let us start from the beginning. When did you first encounter the Decepticats?" The gray-faced Optimus mewed. The toms beside Icestar motioned for her to speak, and she rolled her eyes slightly.

"Well, my Clanmates and I first met them when they attacked our camp, allied with another Clan by the name of FrostClan. The battle was short, and they retreated quickly. But it was only a rouse to kidnap our kits. As it turns out, they had kidnapped kits from two surrounding Clans, RainClan and HailClan. We teamed up together and raided the FrostClan camp, taking back out rightful kits. Our next encounter was when the next Gathering came up." Noticing their confused expressions, she quickly explained. "A Gathering is when all the Clan leaders, deputies, medicine cats, and a few other cats meet together to share news. Megatron had named himself the new leader of FrostClan, and blamed IceClan for the death of their leader and deputy, when it was obviously him who had killed them."

"Figures." The red and white Ratchet rolled his eyes.

"Anyways, he had threatened us that if we didn't join under his leadership, we'd be slaughtered. It was four Clans against four-"

"I hate to interrupt, and I apologize, but you said there were nine of these Clans..?" The gray-faced Optimus meowed.

"One of the Clans remained neutral. They had a mountain territory, so it would have been difficult to attack them, anyways." The other Optimus answered.

"The next morning, the other four Clans had attacked the three Clans I aligned with and my own Clan. It was that battle that I lost my siblings, mate, and an unborn litter." Icestar took a deep breath at the memories and continued on. "At the end of the battle, Megatron ended up being thrown down the edge of a gorge into a rushing river. That was the end of the first battle."

"There's more?" The gray-faced Ratchet asked.

"Two more." The green Ratchet answered.

"The second battle was not as long as the first. Megatron had recruited a tom named The Fallen, who was a very powerful tom. They had attacked out camp and killed some of our warriors." Icestar did not include that Optimus had been one of those cats. "I had to go on an important mission, and when I had come back, the Decepticats had already attacked. We managed to defeat them, and Megatron ran." Icestar explained quickly, knowing the third battle's story would take the longest. The Ratchet on Optimus' other side glanced at Icestar, and Icestar shook her head; she wouldn't delve deeper into the small details of the second battle.

"The third battle… bear with us, it's a long story." Icestar shifted lightly to get more comfortable. "It started out with Optimus and I finding the leader before him, Sentinel Prime." The gray-faced Optimus perked lightly. "It was then that Megatron returned a third time. He warned me that he was returning with forces stronger than ever before, and that he had 'eyes on the inside'. What he meant was that Sentinel had turned rogue and was working with Megatron. He nearly killed a few of my warriors before running."

"What happened then?" The gray-faced Optimus asked, listening intently.

"Megatron and Sentinel threatened that they would eliminate _all_ the Clans if we didn't make the Autocats leave. I was forced by the other leaders to make them leave. As it turns out, the Decepticats had sent a patrol to catch the Autocats off-guard, but were attacked by the wolves that live in the mountains near our territory. But, to the rest of the Clans, it sounded like the wolves had attacked the Autocats." Icestar took a deep breath before continuing. "It was then that the Decepticats set fire to my Clan's camp. I stayed behind to fight off the few Decepticats that had set the fire, one of them being Sentinel himself. But I was defeated and captured. It wasn't long before I met Knockout and Breakdown, my half-brothers," She clarified before continuing, "And then my son, Bearheart, showed up."

"Is that when he got his scars?" Red and white Ratchet asked.

"Yes. He had been caught snooping around, looking for me, and a patrol had captured him. Starscream then gave him the scars he has now, ripping out his right eye and half of his ears for spying. I did managed to get a little revenge of him at that point by slightly splintering his leg, but it wasn't much." Icestar shrugged.

"You said something about Megatron having stronger forces than before... What did you mean by that?" Gray-faced Optimus asked cautiously.

"There are six other Clans across the mountain ranges that surround us, and a Clan-like group called a Tribe. Megatron had convinced them to join him by saying that we were vicious blasphemers of StarClan." Icestar rolled her eyes before turning serious again. "He had also recruited the Dark Forest. The Dark Forest is the place where the spirits of evil cats go, those who are denied access to StarClan; those that want revenge on the living. What makes it worse is that he had also recruited the wolves of the mountains, and the spirits of the wolves' ancestors."

The gray-faced cats' eyes widened considerably in shock and horror.

"But, we had fighting forces, ourselves. We managed to convince all the other Clans except for one to fight with us, and the Autocats brought another group of cats from the mountain. We had StarClan on our side, as well. And our last great advantage were the Big Cat Clans. Lion, tiger, and leopard from the other Clans, and lion, tiger, leopard, and cheetah from the Winter Clans, where we are from."

The two toms in front of her continued to stare with wide eyes.

"It was then that Bearheart and I were rescued, and we all went into war. It was a bloody, _bloody_ fight. _Horrible." _Icestar shuddered lightly. "Cats were lost from all sides. Even those with spirits in StarClan lost their lives. My mate was one of the unlucky ones to have his spirit killed, forever, by Megatron." Icestar snarled suddenly before regaining her composure. "It was then that the final battle took place. Optimus fought Sentinel and killed him, and I fought Megatron and killed him."

"Wait… You killed the Megatron in your world?" The gray-faced Optimus stared with wide blue eyes. Icestar and the two toms beside her nodded. "How?"

Green Ratchet shrugged. "Ripped out his throat, plain and simple."

"It wasn't easy." Icestar huffed.

"Wow…" Red and white Ratchet mewed.

"Pff. You should've seen how she killed Scarredstar." Green Ratchet rolled his eyes. The other two toms looked at Icestar in confusion.

"My father, one of the joint leaders of the Dark Forest." She sighed. "I, er, killed him by stabbing him in the throat with a burning stick…" Icestar shuffled her paws. The gray-faced Optimus stood up, followed by the other Ratchet.

"I ask that you stay here, with us. Perhaps we may need your help." He offered. Icestar stood up, and the toms next to her did the same.

"I accept. My Clan cats and I will stay. Optimus?" She turned to the one next to her. Her mate nodded.

"We will stay as well."

"We thank you. I hope you will find yourselves comfortable here." Gray-faced Optimus meowed.

"We will be sure to help in any way we can, whether from catching prey or patrolling." Icestar said to the toms before turning and walking to her brothers and kits. Both Optimuses and Ratchets stayed behind to talk with their doubles. The black and white she-cat laid down, her paws curled under her chest, and struck up a conversation with Knockout and Breakdown, who had been used as toys for her kits. After a while, Icestar rested her head on her paws, hoping to take a short nap to rest from the tiring day.


End file.
